


The Prettiest Shade of Red

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety everywhere, Fluff, I'll add more tags as the story goes on, I'm pretty new to writing so please forgive me, M/M, Soulmates AU, don't forget the angst, there can't NOT be foul language if red is involved, there's going to be foul language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-04-18 00:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sans had lived his entire life holding onto that small shred of hope, that maybe one day he'd find his soulmate and finally be able to see the tone of red that his brother so adored, but after trying and failing to find his soulmate, he began losing hope that he ever would. (Abandoned)





	1. Peace and Familiarity

     It started with Papyrus finally getting to meet Mettaton in person, and the realization that their worlds had changed after it.

     Sans couldn't count the number of times that Papyrus had asked about the little things, like if his scarf looked sloppily thrown around his neck, if his battle body seemed to be out of place, even if he seemed like a dateable person... Not that the older skeleton minded all this. After all, Papyrus had finally met his soulmate, after ages and ages of searching and hard work. He was happy for him, though he could have hoped for someone more... Humble, than Mettaton was.

     In the Underground, monsters all had a soulmate, destined for them and them alone. While it may have proved impossible to find these soulmates under normal circumstances, it seemed like fate had worked a way around this.

     All monsters saw the world around them in vibrant color, much like the humans that lived on the surface.

     ... But there was one little thing.

     One color would elude them, and in its place, they would see only gray, rather than the vivid tones they might see otherwise.

     The color that all the monsters were missing was the eye color of their soulmate.

     Sans shook the thoughts of meeting a soulmate away, instead focusing on Papyrus, and whatever thing he was talking about now.

     "... and, Sans, it's so different and pretty now! I can see all these different shades of pink that I never saw before, and I do believe that pink is my new favorite color! What do you think, brother? Should I change my wardrobe?" The younger skeleton was gushing, raving about the new color he could see now that he had finally met his soulmate, who happened to be the star of the Underground,  _ and _ the only monster that had pink eyes, as far as Sans was aware, at the very least.

     In hindsight, he really should have seen this coming. Despite all his doubts about his brother's newfound soulmate, even he had to begrudgingly admit that the robot complemented his spaghetti-loving brother quite nicely, and vice versa.

     "Well, I should get going! I do not want to keep him waiting, and we  _ do _ have a movie to catch!" Papyrus' voice cut Sans' thoughts and pulled him back to reality, giving his brother a lazy thumbs-up.

     "Ya look great, Paps. Have a fun time, pet rock's rootin' for ya." The older brother turned the 'pet' to face the departing skeleton, waving for himself and for it.

     Papyrus' smile only seemed to grow, and he gave a hearty laugh before bidding him goodbye, practically skipping out the door and closing it behind him.

 

     Sans' smile faded a bit, watching his brother leave. Once he was sure the other wouldn't turn back to retrieve something or say one last parting phrase, he let out a hefty sigh, slumping back in his chair.

     Papyrus was still just a young adult, but Sans was glad he'd found his soulmate already.

     On the other hand, the older had had a harder time in his own search, which he'd long since given up on. It wasn't as if he didn't want a soulmate, the idea of someone meant just for you, and having that much of an impact on someone's life had excited Sans when he first heard about the entire concept, and for much of his teen and young adult life he'd thought of schemes and plans of how to meet this soulmate of his.

     Sans was capable of seeing every color, every detail of the world and every tone, except for the vibrant red that his brother seemed to wear so often.

     Of course, it wasn't really the lack of color that had bothered him. Other than making him blind to his brother's (former?) favorite color, and making it difficult to tell hearts apart from spades when he played cards at Grillby's, it wasn't any  _ real _ hinderance to daily tasks.

     No, what made it difficult for Sans to bear, was the fact that he'd searched almost the entirety of the Underground, and only a few monsters had eyes of the same brilliant crimson shade that he was looking for, but none of them had sparked any sort of change in his vision, even... Even when he met Toriel, face to face for the first time.

 

* * *

 

 

     Red grumbled in annoyance as he rolled off of his mattress, the shouting coming from downstairs being more than enough to tell him that he slept in. He glanced over at his clock out of instinct, though, the numbers were a pale shade of blue, making it extremely difficult to tell the time.

     It was almost like Boss was taunting him with this clock, having come home one day with a smug expression on his face, and the timepiece in his hands.

     Red stood up and stumbled around the room when aforementioned skeleton yelled from downstairs once more, causing him to get dressed in a hurry.

     The clock did raise some questions though, and its presence had made Red think about his soulmate more that once.

     For example, who the hell had  _ blue _ eyes? Everyone he knew had either red, orange or yellow, with little variation. There was the occasional purple, in cases like Grillby, or his daughter's girlfriend, but other than that, Red had never met anyone with the striking blue eyes that the universe told him his soulmate would have.

     It frustrated him to no end, almost as if the universe was taunting him too, giving him an obvious hint like their damn  _ eye color, _ but leaving him to figure out  _ who the hell had blue eyes _ .

     He was pulled from his thoughts when Boss yelled one last time, and hurried out of his bedroom, ready to start on another day of sentry work.

 

* * *

 

 

     For two years, every day, at the end of his sentry shift, Sans would stroll up to the large, wooden door at the end of the forest, trading jokes with the woman on the other side, who came off as kind, humorous, and gentle. Days turned into months, and Sans felt himself becoming more and more sure that she was the one, especially when he had discreetly asked what her eye color was, and she had simply responded with "Red."

     When the human finally left the ruins, having somehow convinced their goat mother to come along as well, Sans finally got to see her.

     He could almost feel his heart drop when he realized it wasn't her.

     But then, knowing who she really was, it made sense. She had already found her soulmate, long ago, quite possibly before Sans was even born, and she had left him. There wasn't any more room in her heart for romance like that.

     Shortly after, Sans had just stopped searching. He'd come to terms with the fact that, perhaps the universe had just made another mistake, an anomaly, and there really wasn't anyone for him.

     It hurt him to think about it.

 

* * *

 

     "We've laid another trap for the human over by that blue patch of ice, so take care not to trigger it yourself." Boss snarled, his arms folded as he described the entire new layout to his brother, who had opened his mouth to say something.

     "Uh, boss, I can't see blue." It was a simple statement, and the taller skeleton narrowed his eyes before facepalming, groaning out loud about this 'inconvenience'.

     "I forgot about your soulmate and their damn freakish eyes. Fine, there is a trap over by the juniper tree about 20 feet that way." Boss pointed with a gloved hand, and Red nodded, seeing it now.

     "Alright, I got it. Anything else ya want me to take note of?" He asked, though it was a bit obvious that he was tired and irritable, and only wanted to go home.

     "That is all for now. You may return to the house, but only because I know that I'm more than capable of searching the last stretch of the perimeter on my own, you lazybones." Boss rubbed at his bony temple with two fingers, apparently running out of patience for the smaller skeleton.

     "Cool, later, boss." Red gave him a wolfish grin, before teleporting away and back to their home, instantly flopping down on the couch without a care in the world.

 

* * *

 

     "Blue, this isn't going to work."

     "It'll work, you'll see! We'll just keep hopping from universe to universe until I find them."

     "... I hope your theory is correct, 'cause if it's not you know that RP is going to kill us."

     "Don't worry, I know it is. It'll be fine!"

     "... Yeah, yeah. It's gonna be fine."


	2. Misunderstandings Everywhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well, this is awkward.

     When Sans had rolled off of the couch the next day, he let out a soft groan, rubbing his spine in discomfort. Sleeping in odd positions on the couch always made him sore, and this day was no different in regards to the uncomfortable ache he felt, but there was something else.

     A pang in his soul, and something told him it was another anomaly that the universe was experiencing. _That’s impossible. The anomalies stopped after the kid moved in with Tori in the castle, they wouldn’t…_ His thoughts were intruded on by the sound of clanging dishes, and the refrigerator door opening and closing.

     “Sans! Get up, you lazybones! I’ve made lunch!” An excited voice called from the kitchen, no doubt coming from his brother. “I’m using a new recipe, I think it’s turning out well!”

     Sans chuckled lightly, pushing the thoughts of the anomaly away for the time being, before standing up and stretching, headed over to where he heard his younger brother. “Hey, bro. How was your date with MTT?” He asked, leaning his elbows on the counter next to where he was finishing up with cooking, glancing up at him.

     Papyrus was positively beaming, from his head to his toes. His smile stretched across his face and his sockets were bright and wide. He was even humming and dancing a bit as he moved, and Sans made a quick mental note of this moment in his mind.

     “It was positively stunning, Sans! Oh, I didn’t think I could admire him more than when I saw him on TV, but he’s just so charming!” Papyrus went on about the things they did on their date, from eating dinner at Mettaton’s resort to a surprise cooking show they had in Hotland, and all the little things like hand holding and gentle kisses on the cheek that had the taller skeleton a blushing mess. “I have no doubt that it truly is just destined to be, and I know you’ll find your soulmate too, Sans!”

     His brother chuckled lightly, patting him on the back with a grin.

     “That’s great, bro! I’m glad you’re happy with him.” Sans punched the other’s elbow lightly, before turning and walking out of the kitchen. “Just save that spaghetti for me for a few minutes, would ya? I’m gonna go check on something.”

 

* * *

 

 

     Red woke up suddenly, clutching his sternum as if his life depended on it. There was an uncomfortable pulsing feeling in his chest, and it almost made him feel sick to his non-existent stomach.

     “What the fuck…?” He mused, checking under his red sweater just to make sure there wasn’t anything alarming going on with his soul, only to find it completely normal. The pulsing feeling was still there, albeit it had calmed down a bit since it started.

     “Maybe I just ate something off…” Red looked around the room, trying to find something that may have caused this disturbance by chance, before shrugging it off and lying back in his bed, pulling the covers over his skull and clutching his chest again. “It’s just stupid heartburn.” He grumbled, trying to ignore the feeling he was getting in his soul. The tug towards… Something, though he didn’t know what it was.

 

     After a few minutes passed and he found himself unable to go back to sleep, Red grunted, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and sitting up, rubbing his sternum gingerly as he slipped on his hoodie.

     Red finally opened the door to his room, a look of annoyance on his face as he stepped out, trying his best to ignore the feeling in his chest as he walked downstairs, which would have been normal, had the rest of the house actually looked like his.

 

* * *

 

 

     Sans gaped as he stepped outside of the house, on the way to the lab behind the kitchen before he had run into some… familiar looking strangers, as odd as it sounded.

     “... Wow, Blue, I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t think it was going to work.” The taller one commented, looking the blue hooded skeleton over, a non-existent eyebrow raised.

     “Don’t doubt me, Stretch! I know what I’m doing!” At this point, Sans’ attention was drawn to the smaller of the two, who was around the same height as he was. The similarities between the two were uncanny, so much so that he had to look around and rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t just imagining things.

     “What? Who are you?” Sans questioned, looking the pair over suspiciously as he took a step back, ready to run in and grab Papyrus if anything seemed too dangerous. This was new. While the anomalies the human had caused months ago had made him anticipate different and wild things, he would never have expected… _this._

     “Oh, goodness, where are my manners? I’m Blue, and this is my brother, Stretch! Those are just nicknames, we’re actually Sans and Papyrus- I’m guessing that’s what you and your brother are called?” The smaller one piped up, and Sans eyed him warily. It was true, the physical build they shared in common and the resemblance was off-putting, but where had they come from? Clones? Anomalies? Or… Perhaps from W.D. Gaster himself?

     “We’re not anythin’ weird or unnatural, if that’s what you’re thinking.” The taller one, Stretch, broke into his thoughts, and Sans noted the stoned expression on his face. “Blue and I did some research into alternate universes and timelines, and we found out how to hop across ‘em. He’s lookin’ for his soulmate.”

     “Soulmates can live in different universes?” Sans looked at them both with a blank expression, not expecting that at all. “How does that even work? I don’t understand.”

     “Well, I don’t really get it, either! But I know that my soulmate is somewhere, and I’m going to find them!” The determined light in Blue’s eyes was reminiscent of what Sans saw in his own brother, however he had his doubts about these two.

     “What’s the color?” Sans asked warily, wondering who this skeleton could possibly be looking for.

     “It’s red! You wouldn’t happen to know any red eyed monsters around here, would you?” Blue tilted his head curiously, though his words made Sans visibly flinch.

 _Red too, huh._ He felt a tightening sensation in his ribcage as he shook his head, looking to the side. “No, I don’t know anyone like that, sorry.” He hesitated, before speaking again. “I’ve also got red, I’ve never really found any single monsters who have that eye color. The only one I know is the Queen, and she… She left her soulmate long ago.”

     Stretch opened his mouth as if to say something, before there was a loud ‘thunk’ behind them, coming from the door of Sans’ house, and the small group turned around, only to see another stranger coming out, cursing loudly as he stumbled around, looking down at the snow.

     “What the _hell_ is going on?!”

 

* * *

 

 

     Red had looked around the living room, surprised by how unfamiliar it seemed. The wallpaper was a reddish purple color, rather than the yellow that he was used to, and all the furniture that he had come to know like the back of his hand had been rearranged, and even pet rock wasn’t wearing its usual collar.

     “Boss? Boss, where ya at?” He called, slowing descending the stairs, wary for any traps that the other might have set up, in the case of this all being an elaborate prank.

     “Sans? Is that you? What’s going on?” The voice drifting from the kitchen sounded like his brother’s, but… It was different. More light, almost as if he was… cheerful?

     Red narrowed his eyes in suspicion, silently walking down the rest of the stairs and peeking into the kitchen, only to find the taller skeleton standing with his back to him, wearing some odd, ridiculous lighter version of his usual outfit.

     “... What the fuck are ya wearin’, Boss?” Red was almost scared to ask, wondering what all this change meant, and silently panicking over the thought that it might’ve been something he was supposed to be aware of.

     “Sans? What have we said about language? And why are you calling me ‘Boss’?” The other skeleton turned around, and in that instant Red knew it wasn’t his brother.

     “Holy _shit,_ what the fuck have you done with my bro?!” His left eye burned with magic, ready to fight out of this situation if the other monster proved to be hostile.

     The taller skeleton just looked bewildered, his mouth open slightly as he held what seemed to be a pot of spaghetti, nearly dropping it when he saw the other. He looked towards the door, then back at Red, stammering as he tried to say something.

     “Fuck this shit, I’m getting out of here!” Red snarled, hurrying over to the door and pulling it open harshly, losing his footing in the snow.

     “What the _hell_ is going on?!” He hissed, stumbling to his feet, trying to shake the snow from his jacket and boots.

     Red heard a faint whistle in front of him, looking up with accusing eyes, before going completely silent.

     “Wow. And here I thought _I_ was the hot topic reject.” The tallest one chuckled, his hands in his pockets. “You look like ya stumbled out of the Devil’s tailor shop.”

     Normally, Red would have been offended by the statement, however, he barely even heard the other, completely frozen as he stared at the skeleton in the middle.

     His piercing eyes seemed to stare into Red’s soul, and for the first time he could recognize something that hadn’t been there before. “H-Holy shit, what?”

     It appeared that he’d found his soulmate. His soul was fluttering in his rib cage, and a light, floating feeling seemed to fill him from head to toe as he hurried and dusted himself off, still staring at the slightly smaller skeleton. “You’re my soulmate?”

 

* * *

 

 

     Well this was awkward. Here was this skeleton, dressed in what appeared to be extremely drab colors, full of grays and yellows, who was staring at him with such amazement, that it made Blue wonder if maybe red just wasn’t as vibrant as he imagined it to be.

     But when the other skeleton touched his hand lightly, as if confirming that he was real, the royal guardsman didn’t know how to react. He didn’t feel a spark, or any kind of connection to this stranger.

     The other skeleton, his blue hooded alternate next to him, stiffened, and Blue immediately knew what the problem was.

     “O-Oh, wow, stars, um… S-Sorry, but I’m not-”

     “You don’t know how long I’ve been looking for you! D-Damn, never thought you’d look this much like me-” The newcomer rubbed the back of his skull, grinning sheepishly and showing off that large, fake tooth. “I’m Red, what’s yer name, sweetheart?”

     Blue’s heart ached at this, trying to think of a way to put it lightly that he wasn’t his soulmate. “I’m Blue, but, um…”

     “I can see why, damn, you’re dressed head to toe with the color- Which is beautiful, by the way. It’s mesmerizing.” Red was grinning from ear to ear, absolutely gushing with joy about the fact that he’d found his ‘soulmate.’

     Blue glanced over at his other alternate next to him, who’s sockets had darkened, trembling slightly. He didn’t blame him, this was a confusing and unfamiliar situation and Blue felt anxiety well up in him when he realized that this skeleton hadn’t even gotten the chance to say hello before _his_ soulmate had decided that his soul belonged to someone else.

     He’d definitely talk to him after this.

 

* * *

 

 

 _I don’t understand. I don’t understand why this is happening._ Sans’ chest tightened, feeling a tug in his soul but tearing himself away from it, clutching at his sternum tightly. _It’s just another anomaly. I wasn’t meant to see red here. I… Shit._ Sans mumbled, “‘m gonna go find my brother,” before he walked off into the house where Red had come from, with Blue calling out.

     “Wait, Sans!”

     But his cries went unheard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaah, i'm sorry if this seems a bit rushed or odd, i'm not very good at writing first meetings and i was really excited to continue this story, because people seem to like it! and i'm really happy about that!
> 
> if you'd be interested in beta reading some of the chapters in the future, please email me at derpiskey@gmail.com!  
> thank you so much for reading this!
> 
> (also i just really wanted to put complicated feelings in between red and sans because holy shit i like angst, sorry ;w;)


	3. What an Asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which there are even more misunderstandings and more shenanigans ensue.

     “Sans? What’s going on? I saw a monster who looked just like you, how did he get into our house?” Papyrus asked, as soon as his brother opened the door and stepped in.

     For the first time he was able to see the color in the taller skeleton’s boots, scarf, and gloves, and if it wasn’t the most beautiful tone that Sans had ever seen, he didn’t know what was.

     “It’s… a long story, Papyrus. To put it simply, some guy messed around with alternate universes looking for his soulmate, and now there’s… three versions of me and two versions of you?” Sans was still trying to wrap his head around this. Was that really his soulmate? Sure, his eyes weren’t as noticeably blue as the other’s, but…

     “Something’s wrong. What is it?” The older skeleton was startled when there was a hand placed on his shoulder, his younger brother looking down at him in concern. “Even though you’re a lazybones, you _never_ mope around like this. Did something happen outside? I can go and talk to them if you’d like. You’re even crying, are these… bad people?”

     It wasn’t until his brother said something that Sans finally noticed the blue tears running down his cheekbones, raising a hand up to wipe them gingerly from his sockets.

     “No… I… I don’t think they’re bad, but…” He hesitated for a moment, trying to understand and process everything that had happened. “I… I think I found my soulmate.”

     “What? Sans, that’s wonderful! Where is this soulmate of yours? I must meet them immediately! I hope they’ll motivate you to do your work, though! You could do with someone like that!” Papyrus declared, making a move towards the door, before Sans abruptly rushed to stand in front of him.

     “W-Wait, Paps- I… I don’t know if it’s him though.”

     “Sans, what do you mean? If you met him and saw red, there’s no doubt that it’s him! That’s just how it works!” His brother huffed, crossing his arms, though a look of concern was on his face.

     “Well, I… I don’t think I actually have a soulmate.” He confessed, the emotions he’d been holding back threatening to finally spill out all at once. “I used to think it was Tori, and I spent so long looking but no one made anything change-”

     “Then it must be this monster! Sans, I don’t see what the problem is!”

     “Paps, he’s talking to the other version of me outside. He’s got blue eyes, too. It’s not me.” He stated bluntly, wiping his sockets with a sleeve again, trying not to cry. Sans had gotten his hopes up, only to have them brought back to zero with the realization that Blue was there. He was just an anomaly, he didn’t have a soulmate, and the vision change, the tug he’d felt, it was all a fluke. “None of this was meant to happen, the universe made a mistake, I’m just- just-”

     Even as he heard Papyrus saying his name, the worry and fear on his expression evident, Sans could barely focus, the tightening feeling in his chest getting stronger and stronger, and the walls of the room around him seemed to collapse in on him as he tried to fight back all the thoughts and feelings that were threatening to spill out.

 

     All this time, he thought he knew what to expect, but he didn’t know anything anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

     “Shucks, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’ve been ramblin’ on and on, I’m just excited. It’s not common to find yer soulmate, in my universe. If what ya tell me about all this alternate timeline stuff is true, anyway.” Red seemed out of breath, but happy. It made it that much harder for Blue to speak up.

     “Red, I’m not your soulmate-” He started, trying to put this as lightly as he could. “I-I know you were just excited, but, it’s not me. You saw the other skeleton who looked like us, right?”

     “Blue, what’re ya talkin’ about? You got the most vibrant eyes I’ve ever seen, I don’t think I could get enough of this color.” Red seemed a bit concerned, wondering if the other just had a darker sense of humor.

     “I’m being serious here. It was Sans, not me. I still can’t see my soulmate’s eye color, and Sans has blue eyes, too.” The royal guardsman examined the other’s expression, trying to see what he was thinking.

     “If ya ask me, Sans looked a little upset. While my brother certainly is irresistible, he ain’t yours, pal.” Stretch shrugged, and Blue nodded in agreement, relieved that he’d spoken up for him.

     “Why don’t you go inside and talk to him? I’m sure he’d love to talk to his soulmate, even if there was a silly misunderstanding at the beginning!” Blue was back to his bright and cheery self, though Red seemed to flush with embarrassment.

     “Oh, stars. Really? Shit, well…” Red hesitated for a moment, looking back towards the house he’d walked out of, taking a few steps towards it. “‘m sorry about… that, Blue. I gotta go talk ta Sans and explain stuff.”

 

* * *

 

 

     Papyrus had gotten Sans up to his room, wrapping him in blankets and making sure the other was comfortable and felt safe, the worried expression never leaving his face.

     “Sans, are you feeling better? It’s… It’s been months since this has happened.” The younger skeleton sat down on the bed next to his brother, careful not to make any sudden moves or startle him.

     Sans nodded lightly, still trembling a bit as he tried to keep his emotions in check. He hadn’t broken down since before the anomalies the human caused, each one seeming to tear a piece away from him and his compassion, even if he didn’t remember why. Now everything felt new again, and that _scared_ him.

     “‘m fine. Thanks.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact and leaning in the blankets, thoughts running through his head faster than he could process them.

     “Do you want me to stay here?” The kindness and warmth in his brother’s voice touched Sans’ soul, and he nodded again, glancing at the door.

     “... But if they’re in this universe, we’re gonna have to see them eventually. I just… I just wanna stay here for a few more minutes and pretend everythin’s normal.”

     “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

 

     Red made his way into the house, looking around for any sign of the skeleton he had ignored, embarrassment flooding through him when he thought of his mistake.

     “Sans?” It was odd using his own name for someone else, but he’d long since been accustomed to using ‘Red’ instead, his own brother insisting that they used ‘codenames’ for safety reasons, but the older skeleton knew it was just because his brother was a dork and fantasized about using codenames and being secretive.

     After a few moments of wandering around and looking through the house aimlessly, one of the doors upstairs opened a crack, and the taller skeleton from before peered out, looking a bit nervous.

     “So you’re Red?” He clarified, looking back and forth between him and back in to the room behind him, as if checking on something, or someone.

     “Yup, that’s me. Er, ‘m sorry about the way I reacted to ya earlier. I didn’t know what was goin’ on, n’ I still don’t know where my own brother is, but, uh, is Sans around…?” Red glanced around the room again, wondering if he’d missed something.

     “Well, yes. But I must strongly advise against talking with him right now! He’s a bit upset, and, well, he doesn’t get like this often.” Red assumed this was Sans’ brother, Papyrus, and just gave him a sheepish smile, shrugging lightly.

     “I accidentally mistook someone else there fer my soulmate, I wanted to explain what happened. We got off on the wrong foot, is all.” He was feeling a little less sure of himself, wanting nothing more than to finally ease the tugging on his chest, and actually get a chance to talk to Sans.

     “Perhaps- I’ll ask him about it.” Papyrus slipped back into the room he had been in, leaving Red to fiddle with his phalanges in the living room, waiting for the skeleton to show his face again.

     When the door opened next, it wasn’t Papyrus, but the other skeleton he’d seen outside, and for the first time he noticed the piercing icy blue stare that he was fixed with, one he’d looked over earlier.

     “Shit, so, ‘m new to all this soulmate stuff, but- I thought it was Blue and it wasn’t. It was you, and ‘m really, _really_ sorry about all that. I know it upset ya and stuff, and it wasn’t the right kinda start to get with yer soulmate, but I wanna make it up to ya, if you’d let me.” Red looked up at the skull that was peeking out the door, waiting for some kind of response.

     “... I don’t have a soulmate.”

     “What? ‘Course ya do, ya started seein’ differently after you met me, right?”

     “It’s just an anomaly. Things that happen and mess with the timeline, it’s… It’s too much to explain.”

     “That’s some bullshit if I ever heard it.” Red frowned. “Why wouldn’t ya have a soulmate?”

     “I just don’t! Don’t ask about it, I… I’m not getting my hopes up again.” Sans had a worn out expression, and Red felt another tug at his soul.

 _I know I ain’t gettin’ it wrong again, it’s… it’s_ him. _Why’s he makin’ this so hard?_ Red didn’t know what this other meant, by ‘getting his hopes up again’, but he took a step closer to the stairs. “Well, we’re stuck with each other. I know it ain’t wrong, just let us figure this out!”  
     “Sorry, this conversation’s over.” Something about those simple words made Red’s soul drop.

     “C’mon, ya jerk, we can work this out- I get if ya don’t wanna be… _together_ right now, but at least let me talk with ya!” Red felt mild annoyance, though if it was with himself or with the other, he didn’t know.

     “I said this conversation’s _over_ , buddy. Just… go find your brother, or somethin’. I don’t wanna deal with this right now.” His voice seemed to crack at the end, the door almost slamming as he slipped back into the room, leaving Red alone.

     “... God damn it, how’s that asshole supposed ta be my soulmate?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhholy shit three chapters in one day (because i'm feeling really enthusiastic about this and writing about kustard makes me happy- even if it's not kustard quite yet)  
> i promise this is gonna be kustard, but they're both really fuckin stubborn-  
> they both got issues they need to work out, but eventually these angsty bois will be happy, promise-


	4. The Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> red and sans are just too stubborn to talk to each other themselves, so some meddling brothers take matters into their own hands.

     In the day that passed since Red had last seen Sans, he had found his brother near the sentry post in the forest, absolutely fuming in anger and hidden curiosity. The rest of the town seemed to be confused, as well, however, that was different.

     It seemed like Blue had done something, something that had managed to merge the universes together. It was no longer the ‘Undertale’, which Sans and Papyrus knew. It wasn’t ‘Underfell’, like Red and Boss had assumed it was at the beginning, and it wasn’t ‘Underswap’, however, Stretch and Blue didn’t seem to be surprised by this in the slightest, seeing as they caused it.

 

     However, despite there being different versions of Sans and Papyrus, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the Underground. The Canine Squad in Snowdin had become much more… hostile, often snarling when someone tried to pet them before reluctantly accepting, or the friendly Monster Kid, who seemed… different.

 

     When Sans had asked Blue about it, he mentioned something about the ‘merging of universes’, and how the only ones who had been pulled into separate personalities were the skeleton brothers, and while Sans was almost distraught with the news, he couldn’t argue against the science behind it once the other skeleton had explained it to him. It seemed like all three of the universes had collided, creating something entirely new and strange. Sans didn’t like it, something about the new way everyone acted and behaved had him on edge at all times, and he found himself keeping an even closer eye on Papyrus whenever he was nearby.

 

     The blue hooded skeleton was still avoiding his counterpart, Red, whenever possible, though Red would try to approach him often.

     It seemed like the house had somehow gained new rooms, despite seeming like the regular house that Sans had known before, each one accommodating the newcomers, who were having a difficult time adjusting.

     While Sans was warming up to Blue and Stretch fairly quickly, part of his mind always told him that they had caused this disturbance in the first place. One half argued that it wasn’t something that was meant to happen, and there were bound to be consequences, and the other half argued that this wasn’t _so_ bad, and there were finally other monsters like him and Papyrus.

     But his whole perception of that changed when Papyrus came home one day, his expression empty and evidence of tears which had been running down his cheekbones.

 

     “Paps, bro, what happened?” Sans immediately stood up from where he was sitting on the couch, looking alarmed when he saw his brother step in. “Why the _skull_ king?” Despite the entire situation, bad puns were a habit of his, and he knew it would make Papyrus feel just a little more comfortable, like things were back to how they had been.

     “I… I went down to Hotland to go see Mettaton. Sans, he’s changed. He’s not the same.” Papyrus mumbled, holding one gloved hand up to his skull. “I’m… I’m not feeling well. While it pains me to do so, I will have to call in sick from work for today!” Sans could see his brother trying to keep a strong face, but the hurt was evident in his expression, and the older skeleton nodded quickly, ushering him over to the couch.

     “Sure thing, Papyrus. You’ve been takin’ this pretty hard, too, you’re worn down to the bone. I’ll take over for today, alright?” Sans offered him a lazy smile, giving him a light pat on the shoulder. “Later on, we can go to the MTT resort and get some nice cream and try to sort this out.”

     “I’d like that. Be sure to do all your work well, Sans! I won’t tolerate any slacking!” Papyrus seemed to brighten up a bit, though Sans could still tell he was hurting.

     “Wouldn’t dream of it, Pap. ‘s not like I’m gonna do this _sans_ effort.”

     “Oh god, just go already.”

 

* * *

 

 

     “Have you not found out how to return to our own universe yet?”

     Red let out a groan when he heard the voice behind him, spinning around in the rusted chair as he faced the intruder, a tired look on his face.

     “Boss. ‘ve been workin’ all night, and I already told ya, this… this _is_ our universe, it’s just changed.” He rubbed his temples with a hand, the other arm draped across the back of the chair as he tried to dismiss the headache he had, as well as the tugging that he still felt on his soul. “I don’t think there’s a way back. Blue’s been lookin’ for his soulmate, and he strung a bunch a’ different universes together in hopes a’ findin’ ‘em. They’ve all merged.”

     Boss narrowed his sockets, before letting out an exasperated sigh, looking around the lab that he had walked into. “Did you at least get things sorted out with your ‘soulmate’? Or… Did that other blue one find his?”

     “Don’t wanna talk about it.” Red grumbled, turning back around in the chair as he looked back at the papers he had scattered across the desk, mapping out different parts of the machine Blue and Stretch had used, as well as detailing the research that had gone into this universe collision. “As fer Blue, don’t think he’s found his soulmate yet either. He’s searchin’ with his bro.”

     “So this was all for nothing? He came over and fucked our universes just so he could realize his soulmate wasn’t here, either?” Boss scoffed, angrily kicking aside a screwdriver that had been lying on the tiled floor. “What a selfish act.”

     “Bro, I got to meet my _soulmate_ ‘cause a’ what he did. I wouldn’t say that’s nothin’.” Red glared over his shoulder, the corner of his mouth curled upwards in a snarl. “He just doesn’t want anythin’ ta do with me, fer some fuckin’ reason. I don’t get ‘im.”

     “... You’ll have to talk to him eventually.” The older skeleton was surprised by the simplicity in his voice, narrowing his sockets as his brother went on. “Perhaps you don’t get along now, but you’ve barely said anything to each other! I imagine he’s feeling as much conflict over this issue as you are.”

     “Yeah, well, he started it. I made a mistake, but he didn’t have ta be rude about it.” In the back of his mind, Red realized he was being childish. That didn’t stop his soul from tugging until it felt like it would burst out of his ribcage, or the sinking feeling of guilt he had whenever someone mentioned his soulmate’s name. Yeah, he had fucked up with their meeting, but it hadn’t been intentional! _He’s bein’ the stubborn bastard, not me!_

     “Red, you’re a fucking dumbass. You’ve found your god damned _soulmate_ and here you are, acting like a babybones.” Boss grimaced, striding over to his brother and staring down at him. “You really wouldn’t have made it without me, would you?”

     “How the hell do I talk to him when he avoids me?” Red spat, frustration overwhelming him. “‘s not like I’m the most socially acclimated monster, ya know!”

     “... Well, we _do_ have a plan.”

 

* * *

 

 

     “I see… Your brother doesn’t want to talk with his soulmate because he feels like it’s not going to matter?” Blue hummed thoughtfully, thinking over what the other had told him thus far.

     “He’s been that way for a long time. He only has 1 HoPe, but… I know that could change! He’s a good person, he’s just had a bad time so far.” There was definitely something off about Papyrus today, while he had been cheerful and excited to meet the others who had merged into the universe with them, the news that his soulmate had changed...

     Knowing that he had caused it put a weight on Blue’s soul.

     “Well, we have a plan to get them to talk! I’ve already talked with Red’s brother, and… I know this sounds cruel, but we’re going to lock them in a closet together.”

     “... What?” Papyrus blinked, staring at Blue like he was crazy. “You’re going to lock them in a _closet_ together? Do you know how long it took Sans to get out?!”

     “Is that a joke about your brother being ga-”

     “That does not matter!” Papyrus cut him off before he could finish the sentence, but judging by the conflicted expression on his face, which looked like a cross between amusement and dismay, Blue assumed it was. “I do not believe that forcing them to be in the same space will fix this problem, if Sans does not want to speak with him, there won’t be any way to get him to talk.”

     “While I know what you’re talking about, I have a feeling all the walls are going to come down. I think Sans wants his soulmate as much as Red does, we just have to show them that it’s really happening!” Blue grinned, absolutely certain that his plan would work. “Just trust me on this one, okay?”

     “... Alright. I will trust you for now, however! If this plan of yours fails, we’ll be doing it my way! The Great Papyrus always has a back up plan!”

 

* * *

 

 

     Sans stepped into the house with a worn out expression, yawning as he closed the door behind him.

     For Papyrus’ sake, he’d actually given the work some effort today, and while he was more than capable of doing it, it had definitely taken a toll on him. “Hey, Papyrus, ‘m home.”

     “Sans! Sans, oh, stars, thank goodness!” Papyrus’ voice drifted from upstairs, and Sans looked up curiously, where his brother was leaning over the side of the stairs, looking distressed.

     “Brother, it’s awful! There is a cockroach as large as my hand up here, and it has _wings!_ It’s _flying around_ and it already ruined my batch of spaghetti!”

     Sans blinked, before letting out a relieved sigh, worried that something more threatening had taken place, before heading over to where his brother stood. Papyrus had never been very fond of cockroaches, especially since they often hung out around messes, something that the taller skeleton despised.

     “Where’s it now, Paps? I’ll catch it for ya and put it outside.”

     “It’s in the closet, near the back-” Papyrus looked conflicted, though, Sans shrugged it off as being stress from the fact that the bug was in the house. “I’m going to open the door and shut it once you go in, I do _not_ want that thing free in the house under any circumstance!”

     “Wow, Paps, this is really gettin’ _under your skin_ , isn’t it?” Sans chuckled when his brother tried his best not to smile, putting his hand on the closet’s doorknob and yanking it open.

     Sans took a step in before the door was shut behind him quickly, and his lazy grin turned into a slight frown when he heard his brother moving something in front of the closet door.

     “Sans, I’m sorry. I know you won’t like this, but you _must_ get these issues sorted out! If… If you truly were happy for me when I met Mettaton, you have to sort this out with Red, as well! As your brother, I want you to be happy, too!” Papyrus’ voice called, though he sounded emotional and distressed. “We’ll be back in an hour or so to come and get you, please do not be too angry!”

     “Paps, what’re you-” Sans was cut off by a muffled voice coming from the back of the closet, immediately reaching for the string above his head to turn on the light.

     It took a few moments for Sans’ sockets to adjust to the dim light of the closet, however his soul seemed to stop when he saw Red, who had been tied up and gagged, looking pissed as all hell.

     “What the- Red?” While this was the very skeleton that Sans had been avoiding, he rushed over, untying him. He was dreading the kind of conversation that would follow, his shoulders tense as he undid the knots in the rope and cloth that had the other growling, his hands a bit unsteady when he finally got them all undone.

     “That _bastard!_ I swear ‘m gonna kill ‘im!” Red snarled, ripping the cloth away from his mouth as soon as Sans had loosened it. “Did _you_ have any part in this stupid plan?!”

     “What? No! If anything I’m the confused one here, what the hell are you doin’ tied up in a closet?” Sans was a bit offended that the other had immediately accused him, though, he couldn’t say he would react much differently if he’d been tied up and thrown into the dingy closet, which was possibly infested with cockroaches.

     “God _damn_ it, this is fuckin’ stupid-” Red hissed, immediately getting up to pound on the closet door. “Open up, ya lyin-”

     “Red, pal, calm down, you’re kinda freakin’ me out, buddy.” Sans had settled himself down in the corner of the closet, being forced to confront everything that had been bothering him over the past few days all at once. “I think they just wanted us to talk and figure this out-”

     “What, you’ll listen ta me now that we’re stuck in a closet together?” Red turned around, raising a non-existent eyebrow. “‘Cause it seemed like you were bein’ a stubborn asshole just the other day-”

     “Alright, alright. ‘m sorry about that. I didn’t explain everything thoroughly, if ya stop poundin’ on the door and just sit down, I’ll talk. I just… panicked back then.” Sans was getting a tightening feeling in his chest again, but he did his best to ignore it. The other skeleton deserved an explanation for what had happened the other day, and while Sans had stopped trying a long time ago, he really wasn’t just an apathetic asshole.

     Red hesitated for a moment, before slumping down against the closet door, a scowl on his face, almost like a child. Sans might’ve found it endearing if there weren’t other things on his mind. “‘m listening.”

     “Alright. Okay, so… I… I never thought I had a soulmate. There was the whole color thing, but… I’d looked all over the Underground, and there wasn’t anyone who caused any sorta reaction.” Red opened his mouth to say something, until Sans silenced him with a look. “I’m guessin’ your world had a Toriel, too. I really thought it was her, up until I met her face to face. After that, I… I really didn’t think I’d ever see anyone like that.”

     Sans wasn’t necessarily comfortable sharing all this information with a stranger, but the fact that everyone else around him seemed so certain that this _was_ his soulmate… It made him a bit bolder, even if he wanted to keep his expectations low. _It’s probably just an anomaly. Once he understands that we can just move past this._

     He took another deep breath, trying to scan Red’s face for anything. “After that, I just started thinking it was an anomaly. It’s not… It’s not that I don’t _want_ a soulmate, I don’t wanna be rude to you or anything, but, I can’t bring myself to believe that’s really what this is. I can’t afford to lose my HoPe again. Not now, after the time anomalies have stopped. It just… scares me.”

     For a few moments the other was silent, taking in what the Sans had said.

     After sitting in the silence for almost a minute, Sans sighed, bringing his knees up to his face. “Just forget about what I said, it’s not importa-”

     The last thing he expected was being pulled into a hug.

 

* * *

 

 

     “Sans, I’m so fuckin’ sorry. I promise ‘m not gonna break your heart, though. Even if it’s just an anomaly, I _promise_ that I’ll stay by ya, even if it’s just as a friend.” Red mumbled, pulling the other closer to him, and as he hugged him tightly, the tugging that he’d been feeling in his soul seemed to ease up. “I don’t want ya thinkin’ there’s no one destined to care about ya, okay?”

     “But-”

     “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I wanna start again, just so I can forget what an asshole you were.” Red pulled back a little bit, giving the other a toothy grin. “I bet ya really had to put in a lot a’ _backbone_ just ta tell me this much, and ‘m really glad ya did, Sans.”

     Even in the dimly lit closet, Red could see tears pooling under Sans’ sockets, freezing for a second. _Shit, I fucked up. I said the wrong things and he’s gonna avoid me again-_

     Instead he was pulled close again, Sans letting out quiet sobs against his jacket. He was trembling, and Red hesitantly put an arm around him again, rubbing his back as he let it out.

     “Y-Ya don’t have ta be rude about it, j-jerk.” The words came out in hiccups, and he instantly felt himself relax. He wasn’t angry about it, he just had to get all of this out of his system. It made Red wonder how long he’d been holding onto these feelings.

     “Well, ‘m kinda an asshole. It’s in my job description.” He chuckled, drawing a shaky laugh from the other. “In all seriousness, though, if ya don’t wanna immediately start off romantically… ‘m okay with that.”

     “I just wanna start off as… friends, y’know?” Sans mumbled, his face still buried in the fluff of Red’s jacket. “It feels awkward to just rush into a relationship before ya know someone.”

     “Alright, sweetheart, but please don’t _ever_ think that the universe just made a mistake with ya. I _know_ yer my soulmate, and I’ve been lookin’ for ya fer so long now. ‘m just happy I finally found you, no matter where it was.”

     Sans leaned back a bit to look at him again, intense emotion in his eyes again as he sniffled.

     “Me too.”

     There was another quiet moment between them, but this time it was understanding, and Red felt like his soul was filling his ribcage, until it felt like it would burst.

     “Okay but seriously, what’re we gonna do in this closet fer the next hour?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot the mention this before, but this story isn't gonna have any smut in it-  
> i don't write smut, (though i may in the future,) but feel free to interpret this however you'd like :P


	5. Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which there are even more shenanigans.
> 
> (this chapter was shorter than some of the others, sorry! ;w; it's mostly here for more insight into all the stuff that's going on and because i needed something to build into the next chapter rather than just jumping in-)

     Papyrus was nervous.

     Extremely nervous, if he was going to be honest. He’d just conspired with Blue and Fell and came up with a plan, gone  _ through _ with said plan, and then locked his brother in a closet with his soulmate. Papyrus didn’t know how well it would go, or what would happen, but one thing was for sure.

     Blue was absolutely crazy.

     “... So, if we string the next universes over, and combine the next one-”

     “You’re- You’re going to merge  _ another _ universe with this one?” Papyrus finally spoke up after listening to the plans that the two ‘Swap’ brother were discussing, both of the skeletons glancing up when he said something.

     “Well.. I’ve looked through the additions of this universe, my soulmate just isn’t here.” Blue offered a shaky smile, before his shoulders slumped, looking down. “I… I know that the universes merging caused some changes in your Hapstabloo- I mean, your Mettaton. I’m really,  _ really _ sorry about that.”

     “I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, but… Blue, you have to understand, you took my soulmate away from me. He’s someone else now, and while I understand you are searching for your own, that doesn’t change what happened.” Papyrus glanced between the brothers, looking for… guilt? Shame? He didn’t despise these two, he understood why they did what they were doing… “Is there… Is there any way to change him back?”

     Blue seemed to perk up a bit at this sentence, his eyes a bit brighter than before. “I was going to mention that, there’s… there’s a possibility that this change will override the changes that came before, almost like how two negatives make a positive?” The statement almost sounded like a question, but Papyrus instantly felt his soul fluttering. The possibility that he could get Mettaton back immediately piqued his interest, and he leaned forward in anticipation.

     “Are there any other drawbacks? How does this work?”

     “It’s only a chance, but if it works, he should be back to normal the next time we merge universes.” Stretch nodded to Papyrus, going on to explain more of the scientific aspects of the plan. “Like how we pulled our own personalities apart. If it works out, we’ll have Hapstablook, Mettaton, and whatever Underfell added in.”

     Papyrus wasn’t used to hearing Stretch talk, after all, he was usually the most reserved one out of the small group that had formed, with the exception of possibly Sans.

     “Wait… Can we fix all the others, then? What if their soulmates also were messed up when the universe’s merged?” Papyrus thought of all the other monsters he’d spoken with in Snowdin, the most prominent ones being the Dogi. The thought of Dogamy and Dogaressa being apart in this new universe, it… It felt wrong.

     “Sans is the only anomaly in the universe. We’ve looked into it, it all checks out.” Stretch was hunched over, scribbling something illegible on the blueprints that he and Blue had laid in front of them. “All other soulmates in the universe are the same, but almost every Sans has a soulmate in a different universe.”

     “Really? But… Why?” Papyrus looked concerned, hearing the word ‘anomaly’ again, something Sans had gone on and on about in the past… The context may have been different in this situation, but it still felt odd.

     “Well… We’re not really supposed ta talk about that. We promised ‘em.” Stretch seemed hesitant, which was uncharacteristic of the lanky skeleton. “Maybe someday.”

     “Would you fools shut up and just tell us what else that means? I am tiring quickly of your shenanigans.” Papyrus looked behind him, almost having forgotten that Boss was in the room with them, as well.

     “It means the universe is going to change again, but it probably won’t be as drastically? There’s already three different personalities merged into each monster.” Blue took up speaking again when Stretch leaned back in his chair, taking a drag out of the cigarette that had been lying limply in his mouth. “Ideally… I’ll find my soulmate in this one.”

     “If you don’t?” Papyrus almost flinched at the harsh tone in Boss’ voice, the other glaring at the smallest skeleton in the room. “Will you keep stringing along different universes and fucking over lives until you stumble across the right one by luck?”

     Blue froze, looking tense as silence and puffs of smoke filled the room. “I know… I know that what I’m doing is really risky. I know that I might not find them in the next one, or in the one after that. I can’t stop looking, though, I just can’t!” Blue frowned, balling up his hands into fists in what seemed to be a mix of stress and guilt. “If worst comes to worst, and I don’t find them, there’s a way to reverse everything… It’s more of a last resort, though.”

     Boss opened his mouth to say something else, before Stretch spoke up again, casting a sideways glance at his angrier counterpart. “Relax. It’s all gonna work out. ‘N if my watch is accurate, those two have been in the closet for a little over an hour.”

 

* * *

 

 

     Sans and Red were still sitting in the closet, having filled the time with bad jokes and light banter. It was less awkward than Red had expected it to be, and judging from the other’s behavior, Sans felt the same.

     “While Paps had to trick me into gettin’ back in the closet, I’m glad he did. Just talkin’ with ya has been… Really helpful.” Sans sighed, leaning against the back of the closet next to the other. “It’s nice to talk with someone’s who’s got a similar idea a’ what bein’  _ humorous _ means.”

     “I think it comes from bein’ the same monster, ya dork.” Red snorted, glancing over at the other in the low light coming from the candescent bulb in the closet. “I dunno, I woulda been willin’ ta talk with ya without Boss tyin’ me up and throwing me in a closet.”

     “I think it’s the passion for over-exaggerating and flare. Seems like our brothers both got that in common with Blue.” Sans chuckled a bit, noticing for the first time that the tug on his soul had vanished. “... For what it’s worth, I really hope this all wasn’t a fluke.”

     “The universe doesn’t tell  _ fib _ ulas, Sans.  _ Spare _ rib me the drama.”

     “Oh my god, Red, that last one was terrible.”

     “Yer still smilin’, aren’tcha?”

     “Holy shit, you’re a dork.”

     “Well, apparently ‘m yer dork.”

     They didn’t even stop laughing when Papyrus finally opened the door.

 

* * *

 

 

     “Come on, you mutt. We have to get back to Snowdin before Alphys finds us here. I swear, that bitch is gonna get us killed someday.”

     “M’lord, may I suggest going this way? It may be more humid and musty than the usual route, however it’s faster. I’ve tried it myself.”

     “As long as we get there faster, I’m growing tired of this stupid assignment.”

 

     Little did they know they weren’t going back to the Snowdin that they knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so finally, the final ship is coming into play-
> 
> i've been updating really frequently thus far, but it might not be that way for the next couple of weeks, i'm going back to school in a few days and i have my ap tests coming up in may, but after that i feel like all i'm gonna do is update @w@""


	6. Messy Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue finally gets to meet his soulmate, however, it doesn't go as he had planned...
> 
> (this one's also relatively short, they'll probably be around this length from here on out-)

     By the time the Papyrus’ and Blue had come out from the lab, Snowdin had changed again. It seemed more… Sinister, and monsters were glowering at each other from across the street, as if anticipating some sort of attack.

     Something about the new atmosphere of the universe unsettled Blue. It could’ve been the tense air that seemed to settle around him and weigh on his shoulders, or the dirty glares he got from the monsters around him. Either way, he was relieved when the small group got back inside the house, which had suspiciously added two new rooms.

     Sans and Red were still inside the house, sitting in the living room trading puns like their life depended on it. 

     “... Glad ya  _ mustard _ the strength ta tell me all a’ that.”

     “And I’m gonna  _ relish _ that fact. Took me a lot a’  _ guts _ to open up to ya like that.”

     “Red. Sans. We don’t have time to joke around.” Boss growled, his arms crossed as he surveyed the area, squinting as he searched for any changes. “There will be… two new additions to this little group.”

     “New additions? Ya mean another pair of us?” Sans looked up, clearly confused. “Already? I thought maybe we’d wait a little longer- You’re already stringin’ together another universe?”

     “Well, I didn’t find my soulmate in this universe, so they have to be in another one-” Blue shrugged helplessly, feeling a bit less sure of himself. “I promise if I don’t find them in the next few, I’ll… I’ll change everything back to how it was. You have my word.”

     “You better.” Boss scoffed, storming off to the room he’d claimed as his, slamming the door shut behind him.

     “He’s just havin’ a hard time, Blue. Gettin’ pulled away from Mettaton really struck a chord with ‘im.” Red glanced over, a bit of a grimace on his face. “Fer what it’s worth, I really hope ya find yer soulmate with this universe. What ya did was kinda… morally incorrect, but ya deserve yer soulmate, either way.”

     “I really hope so.” Blue frowned, fiddling with his gloves. “Do… Do you think they’ll be happy to see me? I don’t know anything about them, but I can’t help but feel like I’m getting closer.” He was about to continue that thought, before he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see his brother smiling warmly at him.

     “They’ll be thrilled, Blue. Now why don’t we go lookin’ again? N’ Paps, wanna come with us? We’ll be able ta see if our idea with includin’ Mettaton with the formula worked.” Stretch gave him a thumbs up, and Blue immediately felt a rush of gratitude.

_      He’s done so much for me already… He even helped me mess up all these universes just to make me happy. _ Blue felt emotion grip him, before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “Yeah, come with us, Papy! We’ll definitely find my soulmate, and we’ll make sure Mettaton’s back to normal, too!” He gave him a wide grin, the determined look back on his face.

     “I’d like that! Let’s go soulmate searching!” Papyrus was beaming, and it was clear that he was excited to see if the merge had caused any change with his soulmate. “There’ll be so much to explain, but we can go visit Alphys, too! She’d love to hear about this!”

_      If the changes worked… Stars, I hoped they worked. For Papyrus’ sake. _ If they didn’t…. Well, Blue was going to have a hard time getting himself out of this one.

 

* * *

 

 

     “Do ya think Blue’s gonna find his soulmate with this universe?” Red was genuinely curious, glancing over at Sans once all the others had cleared out and gone their separate ways.

     “Sure hope so. While the universe seems ta have adapted pretty well to the changes so far, I dunno how much more it could take before the merging gets ta be too much.” Sans seemed hesitant, glancing back at the door Papyrus had gone through with the Swap brothers. “I don’t want him ta have ta reset things ta how they were. It feels… wrong. Maybe he’ll find ‘em here.”

    “If he doesn’t, he might get a real case a’ the  _ blue _ s.” Red snickered, leaning back against the couch. “Maybe he’ll even get frustrated enough that he’ll be seein’ red.”

    “I’d  _ swap _ places with him any day, your puns are only gettin’ worse.” Sans rolled his eyelights, though Red was just looking at him in utter fascination.

_ Holy shit, how was I lucky enough ta get this guy as a soulmate? _

__ “Earth ta Red, ya still with me? The look on your face is  _ out of this world _ .” Sans chuckled, punching the other’s arm lightly. “Maybe you’re just  _ spacing _ out.”

   “Ha, you wish. I was just thinkin’ ‘bout my next puns, I gotta  _ planet _ out, after all.” Red gave him a toothy grin, before sliding down on the couch until he wasn’t even sitting. “... Alright though, I’ve been thinkin’, and we really gotta get pet rock a collar. Looks too weird to see ‘em without it.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Razz’s eyes were wide at he stared at what seemed like a mirror, however, the splashes of the unfamiliar, invasive color told him it wasn’t so. “Holy shit, who the hell are you?!” He growled, his brother immediately standing defensively behind him. “Why the hell do you look like us?”

    The smallest of the three skeletons froze for a few moments, his mouth open as if he wanted to say something.

    “While this is certainly a  _ jaw-dropping _ experience, I’d prefer it if ya put the weapons down, buddy.” There was a long pause as the skeleton who had spoken took a drag of the cigarette he was holding, eying the others with a knowing look that unsettled Razz. The odd feeling in his soul wasn’t helping matters at all, either.

    “Explain yourselves, before I stab a bone through your skulls!” He snarled, put on edge around these skeletons.

    “Y-You’d best listen to m’lord, you won’t like the consequences otherwise.” The mutt spoke from behind him, a whimper following when Razz silenced him with a glare.

    “Easy, bro. You’re lookin’ at your soulmate, ya might wanna chill. We’ll explain everythin’, if ya just cooperate with us.”

    “Like hell I will! And what the  _ fuck _ is a soulmate?!”

 

* * *

 

 

    Blue’s soul seemed to stop beating in his chest. The bright tones spotted all around his vision told him that this was, indeed, his soulmate. The fact that the other didn’t recognize this, too…

    “Do you not have soulmates in your universe?” Papyrus spoke up from Blue’s left, looking shocked. “What about the color of their eyes? The feeling you get around them?”

    “What do you know about the missing colors?” The smaller newcomer immediately seemed to take a slightly less threatening stand, seeming intrigued that Papyrus had offered them information he didn’t have.

    “It’s- It’s your soulmate’s eye color. The monster you get w-weird feelings around, the one who brings that color into your life.” Blue felt his soul sinking when the other simply looked at him in confusion, still growling.

    “The fuck? Sounds like a weakness. I don’t tolerate weaknesses.” He hissed, looking warily between the three. “How the hell did you enter Snowdin without my knowledge?!”

    “Universes. They merged. We’ve got four of ‘em all together now, blah blah blah.” Stretch seemed to wave off the hostility of the other, taking another drag of the cigarette. “It’ll make it easier if ya just come with us and let is explain. Basically, Blue here’s been lookin’ for ya, really desperately too, if I might add. We’re lucky we found ya on the third try.”

    Blue just wanted to curl up in a blanket. His soulmate didn’t even seem to understood what this meant!  _ This is supposed to be a special thing, and he doesn’t even know the concept! _

    Pity struck his soul when he realized what this meant.  _ Did they not have the concept of… love? _

 

    In that moment, Blue made a promise to himself.

_ I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to help him. _

 

* * *

 

 

“What? You’re certain of this?” A hard, rough voice rang out through the throne room, causing the small rabbit monster before them to flinch back in fear.

“Y-Yes, my Queen! I’ve seen at least three different variations of each brother, a-and I’ve overheard talk of some sort of ‘universe merging’. It’s very difficult to spy on them, please understand, my Queen!” The rabbit looked utterly terrified, before the figure before her stood up, deep red eyes glaring down at them with a mixture of rage and interest.

“Return to your home. I will personally see what this is about. I have never known Sans to be one to cause such a major disturbance, but it seems I was wrong about him.”


	7. Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which razz is a solitary asshole, sans is head over heels for red, and blue is absolutely determined to make things work out.

    Once Stretch had given the new brothers a basic explanation of what had happened, the younger brother seemed more than happy to comply with the new universe, and almost seemed overjoyed with the idea of a completely new start, and the entire concept of soulmates.

    On the other hand, Razz, as he called himself… Razz wasn’t taking it as easily.

    “The concept of having a destined soulmate is foolish, you’re all stuck in a fantasy if that’s what you believe.” Razz had stated, immediately after being brought to the house. “I’ll figure out some way to fix things, just you wait.”

 

    Blue just wanted to hide in a corner.

    Despite everything, Razz seemed intent on avoiding all the others, save for his brother. At every turn, he would snarl warnings whenever one of the others got within 5 feet of him, going as far as biting Sans’ hand when the tense skeleton had accidentally sat on the lazybones when he was sleeping under a blanket on the couch.

    In fact, the brooding skeleton was so on edge around them, that he hadn’t even introduced himself properly. His brother had to do that for him, seeming wary to call him by his real name even when he wasn’t in the room.

    To add onto all the new information the additional universe had brought, Razz’s younger brother didn’t even have a proper name, other than ‘mutt’.

    It tugged at Blue’s soul in pity, knowing that the monsters of this universe had been treated like dirt, and didn’t even know the concept of having a soulmate, when it had been what had pushed Blue to keep moving forwards, even in darker times.

    The fact that Razz spent every waking moment away from the group also stung. For the next few days, he understood what had caused Red so much pain when the first three universes had merged.

    “Hey, he’ll come around. Sans was avoidin’ everyone and shit too, remember? Was only a few days ago.” Blue opened his eyes when he heard the gruff voice, looking up and seeing Red standing in front of him, a non-existent eyebrow raised and his arms folded in front of his ribcage. “Ya worked so hard fer this, ya can’t start mopin’ around now. Otherwise we might have ta lock ya in a closet, ya stubborn little shit.” He chuckled, before taking a seat on the couch next to him.

    “I knew it wouldn’t immediately be the perfect romantic story when I met him, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad…” Blue mumbled, looking down at his boots and the red carpet beneath, avoiding eye contact with his fiercer counterpart. “I just thought he’d be… willing to talk about it, but he’s just avoiding the issue entirely.”

    “I can tell yer miserable, but, Blue, it ain’t gonna happen overnight. Hell, when ya merged our universes, there was all three pairs a’ us ta share the experience. Since ya just added one this time, hell, they’re probably even more confused than we were. N’ feelin’ alone, ya know? Ya just gotta give ‘im some time, eventually he’ll open up ta ya about it. Nothin’ can hold down the pull soulmates feel, even if they don’t wanna admit it.” Red hesitated for a moment, before putting a hand on Blue’s shoulder. “Try not to worry too much about it. We’re all here together, after all.”

    “Red… Thank you.” Blue wiped away a few solitary tears that he hadn’t even felt rolling down his cheekbones, giving the other a small smile. “I’m really glad you and Sans were able to work things out, even if things were shaky between you at the beginning.”

    “Eh, we’re just friends, but once ya start talkin’ with yer soulmate… Ya really start ta click, like a part a’ ya that was never awake just… Comes alive. It makes yer soul feel all light, and that tuggin’ feeling ya get will loosen up, too.”

    Blue just nodded in response, taking a deep breath. He didn’t need to say anything else, somehow he knew Red understood.

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans couldn’t stop the fluttering feeling in his chest.

    Ever since he’d been locked in the closet with Red and forced to talk out his problems, everything seemed a little more hopeful, a little bit less dreary, and definitely more energetic.

    Red was honestly everything he’d wanted in a soulmate, even if he had been afraid to get his hopes up. He was funny, relaxed, and he really cared, even if he tried acting rough around the edges to hide it.

    If he was being completely honest with himself, he had fallen in love with him when he first saw him in the snow before the house on the first day, his red eyes wide with wonder and excitement at the realization he’d found his soulmate.

    Which was why Sans was struggling so much with his emotions now, sitting on his bed, watching an old copy of some movie called ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ that Alphys had sent him once, excitedly telling him all the details of how she’d found it at the dumps in Waterfall, and how endearing it was.

    It was hard to pay attention when his thoughts kept drifting to Red, rather than focusing on the movie.  _ Damn it, I really have fallen for ‘im, haven’t I? _

 

    Rapid knocking at the door made him jump slightly, before pausing the movie, unwrapping himself from the three blankets he had claimed as his own.

    After a few long moments, he walked to the door, opening it slowly, not knowing who to expect.

    “Brother! I have exciting news!” The loud voice of his brother broke the silence, and Sans gave him a lazy grin, opening the door all the way.

    “Well, what’s the news? ‘M dyin’ ta hear whatcha found.” The older skeleton stepped back to let his brother walk in, flopping down on his bed again. “Any luck with MTT?”

    “That’s actually what I was going to say, it seems he’s been split into the four different versions that were in the universes originally merged to create the one we’re in now!” Papyrus was almost jumping in excitement, his sockets almost seeming to glow. “Sans, I can’t tell you how happy I am about this! I thought… I thought I’d never see him again, that there would just be this shell of who he used to be… But now all four of us get our soulmates back!”

    “So, MTT was Mutt’s soulmate, too?” Sans wasn’t too surprised to hear this, though it interested him. “At least, by our definition?”

    “Indeed he is, brother! The new brothers may not know the concept of soulmates, however, the sort of reaction we gained from them both was unmistakable!"

    “That’s great, bro! ‘M glad ya got everything sorted out, n’ MTT’s back ta normal. We wouldn’t want  _ just _ a  _ leg _ acy of the entertainer left.” He winked, and Papyrus fought to hold back a smile.

    “Brother, your puns have just gotten worse since you met Red.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Razz was locked up in his room, which wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Since the encounter with the others, he hadn’t received any calls from Alphys, nor any orders from the Queen.

_ They’re not gone. They’re  _ not _ fucking gone. I refuse to believe that. _ Despite what the others had told him about the universes merging, and the concept of ‘soulmates’, Razz still refused to believe them, instead avoiding them at all costs, and threatening anyone who came too close to him.

    The mutt had always been the only one on his side, and he had grown used to that… The fact that this universe wasn’t ‘kill or be killed’ scared him in a way, not that he would ever admit it.

    It had taken away everything Razz had known, his status, his conviction, everything he’d worked for… It had all been reset in this universe.  _ And then there’s this damn tugging in my chest… I will have to ask the mutt if they’ve told him anything about this. _

    …No, even that was uncertain. His brother hadn’t been coming to see him as often ever since the changes, instead spending more and more time with the small group as he learned about the new universe.  _ What a traitor. _

    The sense of loneliness was only broken by the other skeleton that he knew was sitting outside his door, still. The one who’d refused to leave, even when he’d snapped at him and threatened to rip limb from limb.

    It didn’t help that he kept writing insufferable letters, sliding them under the door about every hour.

    Letters with large, neat handwriting, written in blue and red. Razz didn’t know if he quite liked the colors, however he couldn’t stop himself from reading them every time they came under his door.

    Just as he was about to try texting Alphys again, he detected the quiet ‘swish’ of paper again, looking towards the door, where another letter was, neatly put into an envelope with a stupid cat sticker to seal it.

    Razz scoffed, before walking over to the letter, taking it to his desk and opening it.

 

‘ HELLO, RAZZ!

I’M NOT SURE IF YOU’RE ACTUALLY READING MY LETTERS, HOWEVER, I WON’T STOP SENDING THEM! YOU’VE BEEN ALL ALONE IN THAT ROOM FOR A REALLY LONG TIME NOW, AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET LONELY!

DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE GEMSTONES SHINING ON THE UNDERGROUND’S CEILING YESTERDAY? THEY WERE EXTREMELY BRIGHT! ACTUALLY, I DON’T KNOW IF YOU EVEN HAVE A WINDOW IN YOUR ROOM…  BUT YOU SHOULD COME OUT LATER! WE CAN DO SOMETHING FUN, MAYBE EVEN COOK SOME PASTA!

… I ASSUME YOU LIKE DOING THAT, TOO?

YOUR BROTHER HAS MISSED YOU QUITE A BIT, HE EVEN SENT SOME RASPBERRIES FOR YOU! HE SAID YOU LIKED THOSE A LOT. I STILL THINK BLUEBERRIES ARE SUPERIOR!

I HOPE YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I DID. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TODAY, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TOMORROW, BUT SOMEDAY.

 

HANG IN THERE!

\- BLUE ’

 

    Razz let out a soft grunt, that almost sounded a bit like a laugh, before taking out a paper of his own, and his favorite red pen.

 

* * *

 

 

    Blue had been drifting off, taking occasional naps while leaning against the wall, still sitting next to the untouched container of raspberries. It was harder to send that under the door than it was to get letters in, after all.

    A small knock on the door jolted him from his daydreaming, looking over in confusion.

    No one stood in front of Razz’s room, and the box of raspberries still remained untouched, however, a folded piece of paper lay next to it, a dog sticker holding it closed.

    Nothing could’ve made Blue happier in that moment than seeing that folded paper with the familiar red scrawl on it.


	8. Kustard Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue gets a bit closer to truly knowing his soulmate, and red and sans get into some shenanigans when searching for condiments and berries.

    Living with your alternates and their brothers were hard.

    For Sans, especially.

    While he was thrilled at the fact that he’d found his soulmate, learning to live with him, and the other alternates had been… Difficult, to say the least.

    The amount of abandoned socks had tripled in the past few days, causing Papyrus, Boss, and Blue to throw a fit. While no one fessed up to the crime, it was quite obvious who the perpetrators were.

    However, the new lifestyle had its perks, as well.

    It was less lonely in the two story house, despite the fact that Boss was often away conducting his own personal business, and Razz was still locked up in his room, the only form of contact he had being the letters he traded with Blue from under his door. In all honesty, Sans was just glad they had been communicating.

    The tense, unfriendly skeleton had intimidated him in the beginning, and he often caught himself worrying for Blue’s safety, as well as the wellbeing of the others in their small group.

    But when he saw Blue leaning back against the loner’s bedroom door, scribbling away hastily at a piece of paper, he couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Razz wasn’t so bad after all.

    “Hey, Blue. Any luck with ‘im?” Sans leaned against the wall next to his sitting alternate, who was still writing away at the parchment, apparently adding a little doodle in the corner.

    “Tons! We’ve been talking a lot, turns out, we have a bunch of common interests!” Blue looking up from his writing for a moment to grin, his eyes bright. “He’s even opened the door a few times to let me slide the raspberries in! He’s really sweet, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.”

    “‘M glad ya found him, Blue. Will ya tell ‘im that his brother really misses him? He wants ‘im ta come out and say hi sometimes, but I think it’d be better if he just kept writin’ letters with you.” Sans shrugged, before a booming voice echoed from the room they were in front of.

    “I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU INSUFFERABLE PRICK.”

    Blue just let out a muffled laugh, sliding the next letter that he had just finished under the door, putting a gloved hand over his mouth to try and hide it. “He still has a temper, even if he’s warmed up to me!”

    “Damn, didn’t expect that. I’m really gettn’ under this guy’s _skin_ , aren’t I?” Sans shrugged helplessly, before reaching into his jacket pocket, pulling out some papers and another sheet of cat stickers. “You were runnin’ out of these, weren’t ya?”

    “I will let that one pun slide because you’re giving me more stuff.” Blue huffed, taking the papers and the sticker sheet. “But thank you. Could you maybe buy some more raspberries next time you’re out?”

    “Sure thing, buddy. Papyrus is makin’ me get the groceries today, anyway, since he’s gonna be hangin’ out with MTT. Need anything else?”

    “Mmm… I need you to go with Red. It’ll be good for both of you, trust me!” The skeleton had already taken one of the other papers and begun doodling on it, chewing the end of the pen every so often. “You two need some bonding time away from everyone else.”

    Sans’ face flushed a bit when Blue suggested that, before giving him a thumbs up, scratching the back of his skull with his other hand. “... Will do, Blue boy. Have fun writin’ your letters.”

    “Thanks! Have fun arguing with Red over whether to buy ketchup or mustard!”

 

* * *

 

 

    This had been a mistake.

    Red’s day had started out as normally as it could. He’d woken up, gotten dressed, ate some weird mush that Boss had cooked the night before, and then slept on the couch for a good two hours.

    He didn’t have a damn clue how he’d ended up at the grocery store with Sans, covered in ketchup and mustard, along with a couple of raspberries. They were 100% going to get kicked out for this. There was absolutely no _way_ that the staff would just ignore this.

    … Except they did.

    Sans, being a pacifist, (which was unusual to Red, but not unwelcome,) had managed to somehow barter with and convince the staff that they’d clean up, and had paid for all of the produce they’d ruined.

    Red still wasn’t even sure how this store had _gotten_ here in the first place. Most likely due to the bunny sister’s businesses growing larger and larger with each universe added on, however, he didn’t care too much about the small details.

    What got his attention was Sans, picking up empty ketchup and mustard bottles, wiping them off and tossing them into a bin as he gathered everything up.

    “Ya just gonna stare all day, or are you gonna help out?” Red realized Sans had his eye on him the entire time, a small smirk on his face as he chucked an empty bottle at Red.

    “Starin’? You wish, sweetheart.” Red chuckled, catching the bottle and grabbing another that was at his feet. “I’m almost wonderin’ if I should leave ya to clean this all yerself, yer the one who started this, after all.”

    “Me? Red, I’m hurt.” Sans feigned an offended look, pulling his hand up to his ribcage, clutching at his soul for dramatic effect. “You were the one who squirted me with mustard when I said ketchup was the superior condiment.”

    Red snorted, gathering the other bottles around him. “Yeah, and? That’s so bad it might’s well be considered treason, yer lucky I didn’t turn ya in right there and then! Ketchup’s just a weird, sugar-loaded smoothie. Mustard’s clearly better.”

    “I take back everything I said about bein’ soulmates. I _mayo_ been willin’ ta get along before, but this is just too far.” Sans groaned and fell backwards against the shopping cart he’d picked up to put the empty bottles in, draping his arm over his face dramatically. “I can’t believe my own alternate would even begin ta think that.”

    “Oh yeah? Well, ya _mustard_ been on somethin’, ‘cause you’re talkin’ nonsense now.” Red chucked a bottle into the cart Sans was leaning on, causing the other to jump in surprise when the container clattered against the metal grid.

    “Tomato paste is god tier, you and your shitty mustard just have to _ketchup_ .” Sans laughed, picking up some of the stray raspberries that had fallen to the ground. “Just think of how good these things tasted with _my_ condiment of choice on ‘em! Ya can’t argue against that, they were just gross with mustard on ‘em.”

    “I disagree with ya on that, those were _berry_ delicious with some spice. I dunno what yer talkin’ about!” Red waved him off, dumping the last of the bottles he’d collected into the cart, picking a raspberry off of his shoulder and popping it in his mouth. “I can see why Razz likes ‘em so much, these are delicious.”

    Sans opened his mouth to respond, when someone cleared their throat behind them.

    “We’re closing in ten minutes, you fools had better be done soon.” The rabbit that had been attending the front counter was glaring at them in disapproval, her arms crossed.

    “Oh, yeah, we’re almost done. Sorry about all this.” The blue hooded skeleton laughed nervously, dumping the cleaning supplies back onto their cart. “We’ll be outta your hair- er, _fur_ soon enough.”

    The rabbit turned and walked away in a huff, while Red just snickered from behind Sans, shaking his head.

    “What? Somethin’ funny?” Red looked his soulmate in the eyes when he turned around, before putting on the most straight face he could _mustard_ at the moment.

    “Ya still got mustard and ketchup on yer ass.”

 

* * *

 

 

    “What do you mean, they’re too difficult to approach?!” There was a snarl, and the Queen’s looming shadow crossed in front of a window in the throne room, towering over the rabbit before her.

    “M-My Queen, they’re… they’re always together, a-and based on the magic detectors given to us by your servants Alphys and Undyne, w-we’ve picked up an unstable amount of magic coming from their house- I-It’s too dangerous to go!” The rabbit quivered, shrinking under the monarch’s accusing glare.

    “So be it!” She hissed, throwing her staff onto the tiled floor, fire in her eyes. “I will just have to single one out when they’re alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going to start uploading a little less frequently-  
> school started again and by god it's only been a day and i feel super drained  
> however, this does mean the chapters will get longer and better-  
> i hope you all don't mind!


	9. Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Tacos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i promise the name is relevant
> 
> in which blue tries to make something delicious for razz, and red has a chat with his counterpart.

    Blue was distraught.

    He’d finally finished using all the ink in his favorite blue pen, which was almost the exact same shade that he wore. It made him sentimental, in a way.

    However, he found a worthy substitute when he began using a red pen, which was a tone of crimson that reminded him of his soulmate’s eyes, even though he hadn’t seen him much.

    The letters had just gotten longer in the past week, and Blue had finally started leaving the other’s door in order to carry out the things he’d done before, like shopping, and preparing tacos. He was actually quite excited to return to some old habits, even if it meant spending more time away from Razz.

_ Maybe he’ll let me make tacos for him, sometime! Perhaps I can incorporate raspberries, somehow… _ Blue hummed quietly as he worked in the kitchen, which had become spotless since the universes had merged. It seemed like Papyrus and Boss had been taking good care of things while he’d been busy.

    “Hey, Blue. You’re up early.” A voice piped up from the doorway, and Blue turned around to see his brother leaning against the frame lazily, a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth.

    “Stretch, you’ve got to stop smoking those things. You’ll make the whole house smell, we have housemates, now!” Blue frowned, putting down the taco shell he’d been using.

    “Eh, I don’t smoke inside too often anymore. ‘Sides, Red n’ Russ smoke, too.” The taller brother shrugged, before stepping into the kitchen. “What kinda tacos are you making today?”

    “Well, I wanted to see if I could somehow add raspberries in… I can’t decide if I want to put them in the sauce or the dish itself!” He groaned in frustration, glaring at the ingredients he’d laid out in front of him. “I’ll get it right, just you wait!”

    “Don’t doubt that, bro.” Stretch chuckled, before yawning. “Had any more luck with Razz?”

    “Indeed I have! We’ve been writing more in our letters, and even though I’m not waiting outside for him all the time anymore, he said he’d come out occasionally to talk! I think that’s lots of progress!” Blue beamed, practically glowing as his smile stretched across his face. “Wait a minute, why are you awake right now? You never wake up this early!”

    “I may or may not have stayed up all night at Hapsta’s place explaining everything that’s happened. I also may or may not have just gotten back.” He shrugged helplessly, while Blue looked outraged.

    “What?! Papy, I know you’re excited that Hapstablook’s back, but you have to take care of yourself! I’m marching you upstairs right now, mister! You’re going to sleep in until I tell you you can get out of bed!” He immediately dropped everything he’d been doing, taking his brother’s arm and pulling him out of the kitchen, leaning over to take the cigarette out of his mouth and dispose of it. “Honestly, Paps! What would you do without me?” He pulled him up the stairs, genuinely concerned for his brother. “You know you get weird dreams if your sleep schedule is off-”

    “I know, I know. It was a one-time thing, ‘m just… Really glad it turned out this way.” Stretch let out a sigh, and it tugged at Blue’s soul. It almost sounded like he’d been holding his breath.

    “Paps, I… Stars, I’m really sorry about everything I’ve put you through. It was selfish, and I dragged you through all of this just so I could find my soulmate, when there was every chance that it would ruin your relationship.” He stopped in front of his brother’s room, feeling torn.  _ He didn’t deserve this. Especially not from his older brother, I was supposed to  _ protect _ him, god… _

    “Sans. It’s alright, it’s been fixed.” Stretch looked a bit surprised by the sudden apology, even using his real name. “It… It  _ was _ selfish, but I can understand why ya did it. Knowin’ your soulmate wasn’t in our world, I can’t imagine how much that was tearin’ at ya.” He gently pulled his arm away from Blue’s grip, which had been tightening as they walked, instead pulling him into a tight hug. “It’s okay. It’s all okay.”

    Blue exhaled shakily, putting his arms around the other. “I’m so glad you got Hapsta back. I’m sorry about everything.”

    “Quit sayin’ sorry, ya sap. I already said it’s alright, ya want me ta say it more?” Stretch chuckled, patting him on the back. “Ya gonna let me sleep, now?”

    Blue pulled away quickly, a sheepish look on his face. “Of course! Sleep well, I’ll wake you up when it’s time to… I don’t know, eat? Patrol? You don’t have to worry about it, just get some rest.”

   When Stretch walked into his room and closed the door, waving a bit, it felt like a weight had been lifted from the shorter skeleton’s chest.

 

* * *

 

 

    “Hey, Razz. You plannin’ on comin’ out anytime soon?” Red was leaning against the heavy wooden door, lightly pushing away a pile of letters with his foot. “Ya got some people who really wanna see ya. Plus, I think that stayin’ in yer room without comin’ out fer days on end is kinda gross.” He heard a huff from inside the room, grinning as he realized the other was listening. “Blue’s really been tryin’, ya know? Hell, he didn’t even take care of ‘imself fer a while, ‘cause he was too busy talkin’ with ya. Don’t ya wanna come out and see ‘im, at least fer a little?”

    “That’s none of your concern,  _ Red _ .” The voice on the other side spat, a thump on the other side hinting that he’d sat down with his back to the door, though he almost sounded… uncertain.

    “Well, seein’ as we’re all livin’ under the same roof an’ all, I think it might be.” He chuckled, tapping his fingers against the door lightly. “If ya don’t start actually  _ talkin’ _ to ‘im soon, we might just lock you two in a closet.”   
    “Ah, yes. Blue told me about that.” Razz growled lightly, and Red could just picture the grimace on his face. “However, that will not be necessary. You’ll find that we’re doing just fine, not everyone clings to the idea of soulmates like you do.”

    “‘Ey, just sayin’. You might be fine with just sendin’ letters, but Blue’s gonna wanna see ya sooner or later. He’s even been tryin’ ta make raspberry tacos for ya, even if they’re kinda bad.” Red sighed, scratching the back of his skull. “Look, my point is. Ya gotta sort this out with ‘im, an’ actually talk ta him. It’ll be worth it, promise. Sans was kinda actin’ like you are when we first met, and it made life pretty miserable fer all a’ us.”

    “I don’t need relationship counseling from you.” Razz scoffed, though it was becoming a bit apparent that the issue of Blue and… whatever this all was, had been confusing him. “Is my brother doing alright with these changes? He was never very good at adapting.”

    Red nodded, before he realized the other couldn’t see him, “Yeah, yeah. Russ’ doin’ fine.”

    “Russ? Are you referring to my brother?” The other sounded confused.

    “That’s what we call ‘im now. Mutt sounded too cruel, so we took part of his name an’ it just stuck. Sounds cool, too. He’s actually really chill.”

    “... Well, I’m glad that he’s been good. He used to be the worst troublemaker.” Razz spoke up after a few moments, as if processing the changes that his brother had made.

    “I know how that is, Boss was the same way. God, I remember how he’d steal all the cookies and then break the jar.” Red snorted, surprised that he was almost enjoying speaking with the other. “He an’ Russ get along pretty well.”

    “That’s good. He could use a role model he can look up to.”

    “Oh my god, ya really are just an alternate version of us-”

    “Shut the hell up.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans had been busy, which was unusual for the lazy skeleton.

    He’d gone to the store to restock their supply of condiments and the sprinkles he fed to pet rock, replaced all the whoopie cushions that he currently had set up at Grillby’s, (or was it Grillby’s  _ and _ Muffet’s now?) and bought a bunch of assorted prank items, such as a beaglepuss and a joy buzzer.

    He couldn’t stop the thoughts of holding Red’s hand from running through his mind, but he snorted when he pictured the same scene, but with an added hand buzzer thrown in somewhere. The idea almost seemed in reach.

    However, after dropping off all the groceries at home, and getting a scolding from Blue for leaving his socks out again, Sans was headed off to Hotland, eager to see Alphys again after a few weeks, even if she would be different.

    Being a science nerd, the idea was exciting. What would’ve changed in the rest of the Underground? What monsters had been switched, to match Blue and Razz’s universes?

    And so, Sans headed off to Hotland, keeping an eye out for anything that might hint of the reptilian scientist’s presence, headed towards the last place he had seen her.

    The True Lab.

 

* * *

 

 

    “I got it! Stars, this is it!” An excited squeal came from the kitchen, and every skeleton in the house was immediately awake and up, except for Razz.

    “What’s up, bro?” Stretch was there in a matter of moments, secretly worried that something had happened to his brother.

    “I made a taco with raspberries! It’s really tasty, actually! I want you all to try it!” There was a fire in Blue’s eyes, and he hadn’t felt this sort of achievement in ages. Cooking had always been a fun pastime for him, but ever since he’d started looking for his soulmate, and pouring all his time into his research… Well, it didn’t leave much time for cooking, of all things.

    “A taco with raspberries? Sounds like a weird combination, if ya ask me.” Red shrugged, still looking dazed after he had taken a nap.

    “That’s why no one asked you, idiot.” Boss rolled his eyes, before strolling over and leaning over Blue’s shoulder to see the tacos. “What sort of combination did you use?”

    “These are actually jalapeno chicken tacos with a raspberry sauce! It doesn’t sound like the best, but it’s delicious- man, I’m good.” Blue was beaming, finishing up one of the plates before turning around with a tray, his eyes shining. “Go on, try one!”

    Russ, who hadn’t said anything thus far, tentatively grabbed one of the plates, nibbling thoughtfully as he ate.

    He watched with anticipation as Stretch grabbed one of the tacos and took a bite, his relatively blank expression immediately turning into a smile. “Damn, Blue, ya really outdid yourself. Did you make this recipe yourself?”

    “I did indeed! It took a lot of experimentation, but I finally got the ingredients right! Do you think Razz’ll like them?” Blue was a bit worried, he didn’t actually know what the other’s spice tolerance was, and the tacos were nothing to laugh at.

    Boss stopped to sniff the taco before taking a large bite, his face going a bit red. “Well, while they  _ could _ be a bit less on the… hot side, I believe the flavors go very well together.”

    This lifted the smaller skeleton’s spirits, beginning to regain a bit of faith in his cooking. “Red, do you want one?”

    “Think I’ll pass on this one, sorry. I can’t really handle anythin’ spicier than mustard.” The skeleton shrugged, before giving the other a lazy thumbs up. “Smells really good, though. I think Razz’ll like ‘em just fine.”

    Russ nodded in agreement, looking a little more enthusiastic. “M’lo- Razz does enjoy his sweets, but there’ve been more than a couple of times where he’s craved something spicy. I think this will do quite perfectly.” He piped up, having already finished the taco.

    “Stars, I hope so!”

    “Stretch! Red, Blue, oh, stars, oh my god-” There was a cold gust as the door was flung open, revealing a snow covered Papyrus, who was clutching a tattered blue hoodie to his chest. “I was looking for Sans, and earlier he told me he’d be going to Hotland to visit Alphys, but I got to Waterfall and- and-” He was breathing heavily, a wild look in his eyes and Blue realized what he was trying to say.

    “He’s missing?”


	10. Dark Cell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Red frantically searches for Sans, and we finally get to see what the queen is really like.

    Red was absolutely livid. What had started off as a nice day with jokes and company with his housemates had quickly turned for the worst, and his fucking  _ soulmate _ was now missing.

    “You said you found the jacket in Waterfall?” Blue was trying to get Papyrus to calm down and speak, giving him a blanket and ushering him over to the couch.

    “Y-Yes… There wasn’t any dust, and he’s stronger than he seems, and so I’m certain he isn’t dead! However, it truly would’ve taken a powerful monster to catch him off guard, I’m worried about that…” Papyrus clutched the blue jacket tightly to his chest, a blank expression on his face. “If something’s happened to him, I…”   
    “We’ll find ‘im.” Red’s voice even surprised him, coming out as a growl more than anything. “Then I’ll beat the shit outta whatever monster gave us this kinda scare. No one messes with us and gets away with it.”

    “For once, I agree with my brother. We’ll make sure to get him home safe and sound and make the perpetrator pay for their actions in full.” Boss gave Papyrus a sinister smile, which Red knew all too well. “We’ll divide into two teams. We shall both begin searching in Waterfall, and then branch out from there.”

    Despite the darker intentions that his brother may have held, Red was truly grateful for Boss’ critical thinking and analysis at a time like this. While he had an explosive temper, in times of need, he kept a level head, and took charge of the situation quickly.  _ Not that I’d ever tell the bastard or anything. _

    “If I’m in the group that finds the shithead first, I’m not gonna hold back.” Red glowered at the others, daring them to object. “‘M gonna look around Waterfall ‘n Hotland, uh, Russ, Blue, you two come with me. Stretch ‘n Paps, go with Boss, we’re gonna find ‘im.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans woke up with a start, immediately realizing he wasn’t at home, or at his station. Instead, he was locked up in a dark, concrete cell, with no recollection of how he’d gotten there.

    “I see you’re awake, now.” A familiar voice came from the other side of the door, and Sans’ heart sunk as he realized who it belonged to. “You have some questions to answer,  _ bonehead _ .”

    For a moment, he thought she was just joking around, until he saw her glowering at him through the small window in the door, a fire in her eyes that he’d never seen before.

    “... Tori.” He croaked, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them, realizing that his jacket was missing, on top of everything else that was happening. “... Stars, what happened to you?”

    “A better question is what happened to  _ you _ ? I’m the one doing the interrogation here, you respond when spoken to.” The queen spoke in such a soft voice, that Sans could almost pretend that she was the Toriel he knew, and that this was all just some terrible prank. But it wasn’t.

    “I’m guessing you’re asking why there’s four different versions of my bro and me.”

    “No, I’m asking you if the Barrier exists, obviously..” She sneered, sarcasm oozing from her voice.

_ Tori was never like this.  _ Sans gulped, before speaking again. “... So, me and my alternates… We’re… Kinda anomalies. We don’t have soulmates in our own worlds, and one of us ended up combining a bunch of universes in order to find his, and we all found ours, but… It changed the world as we knew it. ‘M sorry, Tori, I really am, but I don’t know anythin’ else about it. All I know is that now I have a soulmate, but everythin’ else’s changes,  _ you’ve _ changed, but I can’t say I wish it didn’t happen.”

    When the skeleton had finished talking, the woman outside the door went silent, a glimmer in her eyes. “So, your counterpart did this in order to find his soulmate? What a pathetic fool.”

    “Tori, wha-”

    “The very idea of having a soulmate is flawed. It gives weak monsters something to struggle for, but I never took  _ you  _ for a weak monster, Sans. Dear me, it seems like I overestimated you!” She chuckled, though it only made him shrink further back against the wall. “Do you actually think you’ll be happy now? Ruining all of your worlds just so you could merge them all and find your one true love?” For the first time, she opened the door and stepped in, towering over Sans, and for a second he saw the Queen in all her former glory, but the image was shattered when she knelt down to grin at him. “It’s all a fairy tale, Sans. There’s no one meant for you. Just look at what happened to Asgore and myself, it’s almost laughable how anyone could believe in love after that fiasco!”

    “You’re lyin’... Things just work differently in this world, s’all.” Sans felt his non-existent stomach working itself into knots, snapping his fingers to teleport away, anything to get away from this version of Toriel… But there was nothing.

    “Oh, pity. I forgot to tell you, your precious magic won’t work in here. I apologize, I know it was your only saving grace.” The queen gave him a sickening smile, before sitting in front of him. “But, it’s quite alright, old friend. You’ll be able to have lots of fun working under me again, with Alphys and Undyne. Won’t that be marvelous?”

    “Tori, you have to let me go.” Sans was getting desperate now, glancing around for something, anything that would give him a hint of where he was in the castle, if he was even there to begin with. “I have to get back to my brother, and Red, and-”

    “Oh, but you only just got here! We have lots of catching up to do, wouldn’t you agree?” The goat lady stood up again, dusting off her robes. “And do not call me Tori. You are to address me as ‘my queen’ or ‘your highness’, I’ve been lenient with you thus far.” She growled, turning around before stopping in her tracks. “... My child, what brings you here?”

    Sans almost jumped when he heard her say that, looking around her to see a small human child standing in the doorway.

    “... Mom, what are you doing to Sans?” Their voice was barely more than a whisper, and the goat immediately knelt down to shush her adoptive child, though Sans could see that she still towered over them.

    “Mother is simply looking out for the Underground, Sans is getting too strong for his own good. You’ll behave, right, my buttercup?” She kissed their forehead, before standing again and closing the door behind her, glaring back through the window. “I’ll be back for you.”

 

* * *

 

 

    “God, we ain’t gettin’ anywhere! There weren’t any clues in Waterfall, an’ there’s  _ nothin _ ’ here in Hotland, either! Are ya sure I can’t just grab someone n’ beat the shit outta ‘em ‘til they tell us where he is?!” Red’s shoulders were heaving, and he sent a bone through the cave wall next to him in frustration, growling angrily.

    “Whoa, Red! Calm down! It’s not like they all know where he is, and they just aren’t telling us!” Blue stopped looking around for a moment to rush to his aid, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find him eventually, and  _ then _ we’ll deal with the monster who took him, but not before.”

    Red grumbled some more, before smacking Blue’s hand away, stomping off towards the Resort.  _ I swear ta god, if anythin’s happened to ‘im… God, this is my fault, isn’t it? _ Red felt an anching in his chest, reminding him of when he first met Sans, and the other had ignored him.  _ It was only a few weeks ago, stars… _

    “Red? Are you still seeing all the colors?” Blue called, and Red whipped around, still pissed and ready to lash out at anyone. Deep down he knew it wasn’t fair to Blue or to Russ, but the stress he was dealing with made him more irrational than usual.

    “Yeah? The hell does that have ta do with anythin’?” He snarled, kicking a pebble and glaring at his surroundings.

    “Wait… You don’t know? If something happens to your soulmate, I mean, if… If they die, or if their magic gets too low… Their color starts to fade.” Blue glanced over at Russ, who gave him a helpless shrug. “I guess I’m the only one here who really did a lot of research on soulmates, but their wellbeing affects their color.”

    Red blinked, before squinting and staring at the scarf wrapped around the other’s neck, seeing the same bright blue that he’d grown to love in the past few weeks. “The color hasn’t changed fer me. Does that mean he’s okay?”

    “It should, yes.” Blue sighed in relief, before looking around again. “Well, since we can’t find anything over here, should we go back and meet the others, or keep going to the Resort and New Home?”

    “Um… Excuse me.” A quiet voice was heard behind them, and Red and Blue glanced over to see a small human child tugging at Russ’ jacket. “You’re a Papyrus, right?”

    “Whoa, kid. Whaddya doin’, arentcha supposed ta be with Tori?” Red looked around for the ruler, immediately on edge. He hadn’t had the chance to meet the new Toriel ever since the worlds merging, however if she was anything like the woman that he had known, he didn’t want to be caught dead with her child.

    “I snuck away.” They admitted, still clinging to the fabric of Russ’ hoodie. “Mother is keeping him in a cell. Way down underneath the castle, even further down than the Judgement hall.” The child whispered, an odd look in their eyes.

    Red barely noticed it, only focusing on what the kid had said. “Wait, are ya talkin’ about Sans? She’s keeping him under the castle?” He repeated, his soul immediately pounding.  _ Oh my god, what the hell is she gonna do to ‘im? _

    The human nodded, looking between the three skeletons. “I think she wants him to work with Alphys and Undyne. He said he had to be with his brother and Red.”

    With that one sentence, time froze for Red, and the pounding in his soul only got more intense.  _ She’s keeping him under the castle.  _ Against _ his god damn will. ‘M gonna fuckin’ destroy her! _

    “Red, let’s not do anything rash here, we’ll regroup with Stretch and the others, and the-”

    “Kiddo, why’re you helping us?” Russ spoke with a soft voice, and Red was almost surprised with how gentle he sounded. “You’re going against your mother. You’ll be in trouble.”

    “I… I just want everyone to be happy.” They looked down, finally releasing Russ’ sleeve. “And Sans is definitely not happy down in that cell. If he’s anything like our Sans was, he deserves happiness.”

    Blue seemed to freeze, but Red just growled again, his eyes going dark. “Russ, Blue. You can come with me or regroup with the others, but there’s  _ no way in hell _ that I’m waitin’ around fer somethin’ ta happen.”

    “Please, Red, think this through! She could hurt you, or you might hurt her! We don’t know why she really took him yet, let’s just regroup an-”

    “‘M goin after Sans  _ right now _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaa sorry if this chapter doesn't seem up to par with the others, i just really wanted to write a bit more about kustard and about toriel :'D  
> rottenberry's gonna come back into this later, promise.


	11. Unknown Location

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which razz finally decides to leave his room, and red finally finds sans.
> 
> (the pacing of this chapter is everywhere, 'm so sorry :'D)

    The cell Sans was still in was damp and stuffy, forcing him to take deep breaths and focus on his surroundings.

    Based on the area he had been in, and the one who had kidnapped him…  _ I don’t even want to think about her right now. _ He was willing to bet that he was somewhere beneath the castle, and somehow the magic that powered the Barrier was being used to block his magic. Only something like that would’ve been strong enough to keep his powers at bay, despite what the rest of the Underground may have thought about him.

    “Alright, Sans… You’re under the castle, being blocked by the Barrier, and under constant surveillance from Tori and some other monsters… Stars, how do I even start gettin’ outta this one?” He groaned, leaning back against the wall, wishing for his blue hoodie for the sixteenth time that hour, not that he had any way of telling the time in his cell. “Maybe… Maybe they’ll send help. Paps wouldn’t give up on ya. Red wouldn’t either… Right?”

 

* * *

 

 

    “Wait, Red! Slow down!” Blue’s voice rang out from behind, causing the aforementioned skeleton to slow to a stop, turning around and glaring.

    “What, Blue?! I don’t have time for this, Sans needs help!”

    “So you’re just going to rush into a guarded castle all by yourself, and expect everything to be fine? You don’t even know how to get to him! We have to regroup, and then plan our next moves!” Blue huffed, a bit out of breath after catching up with the other.

    “I don't care.” Red growled, tapping his foot impatiently as he looked around. “You can go back ta Snowdin and find the others if ya want to, but  _ I’m _ goin’ right now. Even if I don’t know where he is, I’ll find ‘im.”

    “Red,  _ think _ for once! If this Toriel was strong enough to catch Sans off guard, the same can be said for you! In case you forgot, we’re the same monster!” Blue looked frustrated, and Red barely noticed Russ and the human catching up with them.

    “Yeah, but I know that she’s out there. Sans didn’t. Whaddya care, anyway?!” He was furious now, itching to move, to act, to do  _ anything _ that wasn’t just standing around helplessly. “He’s finally warmin’ up ta me, I can’t lose him now!”

    “You won’t, I promise you, but it’s too risky to do this alone! Let’s get the others, then we can approach her and try to work this out without violence, okay? If we hurt her, we’d never be safe unless we… unless we dusted her.” Blue was visibly shaken, holding out a hand to him. “Come on, it won’t take long, I promise. Especially since you can teleport.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Razz was sitting on his floor, leaning against the wall next to the door. It had been a few hours since he’d heard anything from the others, and judging from what he’d heard earlier, they’d all gone to find Sans.

    “What a hassle. He’s annoying as hell,  _ and _ he gets himself captured? Pathetic.” He scoffed, standing up and brushing himself off with his hands. “... However, Blue cares about them. I suppose I should do something.” Razz slowly turned the lock on his door, hesitating a bit before pushing it open, peeking out into the hall.

    Silence filled the house, and even as the door creaked open, there was no response. It was… Odd, compared to the usual activity from the other skeletons.

    “Fools. They’re just going to get themselves into trouble.” He shook his head, though he was fully aware that he was just talking to himself. “Alright. First things first, find out where they went.”

    However, the moment he descended the stairs, the front door swung open, and all of the Papyrus’ stepped in, except for his brother.

    “Can’t see anythin’, here. Snowin’ too hard right now.” Stretch shook himself off before shutting the door behind them, letting out a heavy sigh.

    “Wait! Razz? You’ve finally come out of your room! Welcome! I wish this was under better circumstances-” Papyrus’ eyes lit up, though he was still covered in snow.

    “Yes, yes. I decided to give you my assistance in finding your brother.” He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms with a grimace. “Don’t say anything about it. Just tell me what’s going on.”

    “Oh, well, my brother Sans went missing earlier, and I found his jacket in Waterfall. Red and the others are looking in Hotland, and we tried searching around Snowdin before this storm kicked up.” Papyrus’ expression immediately fell, and Stretch put a hand on his shoulder.

    “Hey, it’s alright, buddy. We’re gonna find him. Maybe Blue ‘n the others have already found ‘im, who knows.” Razz perked up a bit at the mention of his ‘soulmate’, though he tried not to show it.

    “So, Blue is in Hotland?” He confirmed, tapping his foot a bit impatiently. While he hadn’t anticipated running into his housemates this quickly, he’d wanted a chance to talk to Blue before he did anything else.  _ Seems like that’s not happening. _

    “We were going to go meet them, actually.” Boss had been busy brushing the snow off of his battle body, his eyes narrowed. “I believe you should come with us. Not that I’m worried for your safety, but I don’t trust you on your own.”

    “Thank you for the vote of confidence.” Razz commented sarcastically, glaring at the taller skeleton in annoyance. “God, no wonder Blue talks to me all the time. You’re all insufferable.”

    “You’re not helping your case, shortstack.” Boss growled, before flinging open the door again, letting the snow blow in again. “We’re leaving now. Considering how lazy our brothers are, I doubt they got far.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans was still curled up against the wall of the cell, letting out a shaky sigh. There hadn’t been any sound from the other side of the door for a long time, and he suspected that the guard had left for whatever reason.

_ Who am I kiddin’. The universe is so different now, ‘n Papyrus would never have the will ta fight Tori, no matter what she did. I don’t even know if he could beat her if he tried… _ He thought, pulling his legs closer to his chest. “God, ‘m so stupid. I dunno why I even thought ta go visit Alphys.”

    “ _ SANS! _ ” A voice roared, and the clunk of armor told him that Toriel was rushing to the door, and he was proven right by the door slamming open, the queen standing before him with a fire in her eyes. “ _ What did you do?! _ ” She hissed, her fists clenched by her sides, and Sans’ eyes went wide, confused at what caused the sudden outburst.

    “I-I said somethin’ about visitin’ Alphys…” He mumbled, trying to look anywhere in the room but at her.  _ Stars, please leave, please leave, please leave… _

    “ _ No _ ! What did you do to  _ my child _ ?!” Toriel took another step forwards, her teeth bared, and her arm pulled back, as if ready to strike.

    “Wait, Tori- Okay, Your Highness. I swear on whatever ya want me to, I didn’t do anythin’ to your kid, I haven’t been able to use magic or leave this cell.” Sans was usually apathetic about the things that happened, but fear shot through him when Toriel stood in front of him, because everything was new. This was different, and it was terrifying.

    “You did something. When I find my child, if you did  _ anything _ to them, I’ll personally tear you limb from limb.” She raked her nails across his face, leaving three marks and taking down his HP from 1 to 0.5, causing him to let out a startled gasp, clutching at his soul instinctively.

    What made it even more terrifying was the fact that he knew she was purposely holding back.

    “I’ll return once my child is home safely. It would be wise to stay put and stay out of trouble.” She scoffed, stepping out of the room and slamming the door closed, immediately barking out some orders to what Sans assumed were guards, unintelligible from his position.

    “Shit… Shit,  _ shit. _ ” There was no way he could try to escape now. His HP was so low that if he even tripped he would risk dusting.

    In that moment, there wasn’t anything he could do except cry.

 

* * *

 

 

    When Red and the others arrived in Snowdin, they found their brothers struggling against the elements as they pushed through a sudden storm, but Red was most surprised to see Razz with them.

    “Razz? You’re out of your room! Did you overhear us?” Blue immediately grinned widely despite the storm, hurrying over, though he was careful to give the solitary skeleton his space.

    “Indeed I did. It would be hard to miss when you were all squawking like birds downstairs.” He gave a light shrug, before immediately turning to Red. “You. You can teleport, get us out of Snowin, and we’ll work out our plans from there.” He called firmly, though the hooded skeleton found it difficult to hear him over the sounds of the wind.

    “Alright, alright. Hold on ta yer ass, teleportin’ this much mass can get a little messy.” He grumbled, before with a snap of his fingers, they were back in Hotland, though the use of magic made him feel a bit disoriented. “We know where Sans is, we gotta go right now.” He hissed, finally being able to hear his thoughts over the storm. “He’s under the castle. Tori got ‘im.”

    “This kid told us where he is.” Russ held up the human child with a lazy expression on his face, which was almost enough to piss Red off. “‘N I think they’re tellin’ the truth, considerin’ how all of our universes had kids who were pacifists.”

    “Well, even if we decide to believe this child, do we know where Sans is, other than under the castle?” Boss narrowed his eyes, and it was easy enough to tell that he was suspicious of the human child that was now hiding behind Russ.

    “It’s our only lead, unless you found anythin’ useful.” Red growled, his legs itching to move.  _ Anythin’ could be happenin’ ta Sans right now, there’s no  _ time _ ta talk! _

    “We couldn’t find anything in our section of Waterfall, much less in Snowdin. I suppose this really is our only lead.” Boss sniffed, glancing around. “How do you plan to infiltrate the castle? I imagine there are guards, even in this universe. We can’t just waltz in.”

    “‘M gonna go in, tear up the place ‘n find Sans. Easy.” Red grumbled, his patience wearing thin. “I don’t have time ta stand here talkin’, we’re goin’ right now!”

    “Red, okay, be reasonable! Let’s stop and make a plan, alright?” Blue piped up from Stretch’s side, wringing his hands. “We know he’s in the castle, right? We can divide and conquer. One group goes one way, the rest go the other. It’ll be a lot safer than just rushing in without a plan.”

    “... Alright, but if I even get a  _ hint _ a’ where he’s at, ‘m takin’ off, you’ll just slow me down.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans was shaking, holding his face in his hands as he struggled to remain calm, and keep his bearings. He didn't even know how long it'd been since the queen had last stepped into the room.

    The bone around his left socket was starting to dust a bit, though he’d fully expected this. It didn’t mean he was falling down, it was just the result of an injury. At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

_ What if I’m interpreting this all wrong? What if ‘m really just falling, and no one will ever find out what happened? Stars… _ He let out a small whimper, burying his face in his knees. “I really hope Tori find the kid… For their sake and mine.”

    The cell only seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, making Sans even more trapped than he’d been before. All he could think of was the situation he was in, and the only thing keeping him from completely losing himself was staring at that small speck of red he could see through the window on the door, possibly from a piece of fabric, or some wallpaper. He didn’t know, and he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

    “Heh… Really is a pretty color…” He mumbled, hugging himself even tighter. “I’m sorry, Red… I’m sorry, Paps, god, I’m really not gonna make it outta this, am I?”

    “Not if I have anythin’ ta say about it, ya asshole!” An angry voice came from the other side of the door, instantly shaking Sans from his thoughts and jolting him back to reality. “Damn it, where’s the lock on this thing?!” The voice was too familiar… Though Sans couldn’t bring himself to hope that it was who he thought.

    With a loud bang, the door was knocked off of its hinges entirely, barely missing Sans as he jumped to the side, his sockets wide.

    “Sans! Oh, god, what the  _ hell _ did she do to you?!” Red rushed over and quickly put his hands on the other’s cheekbones as lightly as he could, looking at the slashes across his sockets. “Jesus, did  _ Tori _ do this?”   
    Sans couldn’t respond, shocked that Red was actually standing in front of him, actually  _ there, _ where he could touch him and see him-

    “Oh my god, Red.” He choked, immediately throwing his arms around him in a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. Something about this situation seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. “I-I thought you wouldn’t find me here,  _ I _ don’t even know where I am, stars, I th-thought that she would keep you all away, she was gonna kill me or s-somethin’-” His voice was shaking, though he kept holding his soulmate close like he was the only thing keeping him grounded. “I… I didn’t think you would come-”

    “Sans. ‘M always gonna be there for you, okay? No matter what, even if someone like Tori’s in the way. Ya know why?” Red brushed his thumb lightly under Sans’ eye socket, wiping away a few tears that had trailed down his cheek.

    “Why?”

    “‘Cause ‘m fallin’ in love with ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one isn't as good as the other chapters, but i was trying to get this part out of the way so i could finally start developing their relationships more and get to the romance and fluff because god i love kustard- :'D  
> i promise the next ones will be better aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-  
> thank you for bearing with me  
> the next chapter's going to have more about what happened between the time we last saw red and him finding sans, but i didn't feel like writing everything in this chapter or cutting it off earlier-


	12. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue and his little group confront toriel, and he begins to understand the reasons for her actions, and in which kustard and rottenberry really start to understand each other >w>

    Blue wasn’t going to lie, he was absolutely terrified.

    The monster standing in front of him strongly resembled the woman that he’d known and cared for, had a strong friendship with, and served loyally, but her personality was almost the complete opposite.

    It had taken the combined efforts of Boss, Razz, and Stretch in order to hold her back without severely injuring her, somehow managing to corner her in the throne room and surround her with a cage made of bones, despite the destruction that it had caused.

    “What have you done to them?!” Toriel bared her teeth and swiped a claw at them, making Blue flinch back, even though he was more than ten feet away.

    “Who, your child?” The look on Boss’ face was one of disgust, and he scoffed, chucking another bone at her half-heartedly. “With Russ. They’re perfectly safe, they wanted us to come save Sans, seeing as you’re being an unreasonable bitch.”

    “Don’t call the queen a bitch, you asshole.” Razz growled, tapping his foot rapidly against the tile floor, as if he was nervous about something. “Despite what you may think, she’s still  _ royalty _ , and must be treated with respect.”

    “She kidnapped Sans and tried to kill us,  _ Razz _ . I’m past the point of respect.” Boss snapped, before looking over his shoulder, glaring at the doorway leading into the throne room. “Russ, come out here and show the tyrant that her child is fine.”

    Blue heard scuffling as Razz’s brother hurried in with the human following them closely, a worried look on both of their faces.

    “Mom, I know you’re just trying to protect the Underground, but kidnapping Sans isn’t going to fix anything. If you just talked to him, he would have willingly helped you, don’t you remember what he was like before?” The child pleaded, walking over to the monster in the bone cage, seemingly unphased by her anger, or the state of the room around them. “Please, just let them go. Sans and Papyrus won’t harm us, I promise. They’re good monsters.”

    Toriel stared at her child in silence for a few moments, before glaring at the skeletons who stood behind them, sending chills down Blue’s spine.

    “Look what they’ve done, they’ve trapped me, broken into and destroyed our home-”

    “But they could’ve done worse! You kidnapped Sans, they could’ve killed you for that, but they didn’t.” The human was looking a bit desperate, tugging lightly at the sleeve of her robes. “If you let them live peacefully in Snowdin, I promise I won’t run off again. They’re not going to harm us, they’re just… different, now.”

    “... I promised him that I wouldn’t let anything happen to him or his brother.” She croaked, clutching her chest with her free hand. “And now he’s gone, and these monsters are here in his place…”

    Blue felt a sudden pang of sympathy, his expression softening. “I get it. We were friends, just like in all of our universes.” He mused, almost to himself. “We’ve… replaced them, somehow. Just thinking about all the science behind it makes my head hurt, but, somehow, there was a Sans and a Papyrus here who was a mix of all of us.”

    “You’re saying that we replaced them just like that? And Toriel here is grieving over that fact?” Boss raised a non-existent eyebrow, though he seemed interested in what the other had to say. “... I suppose it’s not too outlandish, considering what our universes were like.”

    “Toriel. I know you were close with Sans, and the fact that he’s… gone, is hard to deal with, but it can’t be reversed. I really screwed things up, but if I’m honest, I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Blue offered a sad smile, guilt weighing him down as it began to sink in that this was something he couldn’t fix. “However, I promise. We’ll love and protect this Underground as if it were our own. You won’t have to worry about us, we won’t stir up any trouble.”

    Once again, Toriel just stared at him, before lowering her head and clutching the hand of the child, shaking a bit. “Just go. Take him and go.”

 

* * *

 

    “Are ya sure yer okay? We can rest if ya don’t feel up ta it yet, and-”

    “Red. Getting out of this cell would be really great. I’d rather not stay in the  _ pun _ itentiary any longer than I have to, ya know?”

    “Yeah, yeah. Got it.” Red’s head was spinning. He’d found his soulmate, but his HP had been lowered, and the one responsible had been their best friend back in their respective universes.  _ What the  _ hell _ is this universe? _ He thought, watching Sans in concern as he stood up and wiped his sockets with his sleeve again.

    “Alright. I think I’m good now. We’re under the castle, right?” Sans took a deep, shaky breath, hugging himself tightly.

    “Yeah, the others went to go confront Tori. Soon as I punched the livin’ daylights outta this guard, he told me where ya were. I ran over as soon as I could.” Red stated, before remembering that Papyrus was waiting upstairs with Sans’ jacket, and it was odd to see the typically laid back skeleton without it. “Yer brother’s upstairs, too. He found yer jacket earlier, so ya won’t have ta buy a new one.”

    “Really? Stars, that’s a relief.” Sans seemed to calm down more, walking at Red’s side as he lead them out of the cell and towards the exit. “You said the kid told you were I was, right?”   
    “Yup. Tori’s kid was kinda caught in the middle a’ all this, but they didn’t wanna see ya miserable like that. Guess they really do care, even if we’re not the Sans they knew before.” Red shrugged, before punching the call button on the elevator, which opened immediately. “Hopefully they’ve sorted out this mess by now so we can just go home. Blue said they were gonna try ta deal with her diplomatically, but if it were me I’d just punch her lights out.” He growled, prompting a chuckle out of Sans as they stepped into the elevator.

    “That probably wouldn’t have gone well. Maybe it’s better that Blue and the others were the ones to go talk to her.” Sans shook his head, grinning slightly. “They’d probably be better at negotiation, no offense.”

   “Some taken.” Red snorted, before closing the doors and pushing the button to take them to the ground floor, silence suddenly filling the small room.

    “... Hey, Red. Did you mean what you said earlier?” The sudden question caught him off guard, though he knew what the other was referring to. The prompt made his face turn his namesake, and he fiddled with his hands while avoiding eye contact.

    “The thing ‘bout fallin’ for ya?”

    “Mhm.”

    “Eheh, uh, yup. I did. It’s not any a’ that soulmate bullshit, either. I’d still adore ya even if I couldn’t see the color blue, everythin’ ya do is just… really captivatin’.” Red mumbled, his face going even darker as he tried not to let it show.

    “Lighten up, ya dork.” Sans snorted, elbowing him lightly as the elevator doors opened again, smiling as he looked at the other. “‘Cause I think I feel the same way.”

 

* * *

 

 

    “What made you come out of the room?”

    “Huh? Oh, Blue. Greetings.” Razz turned around to see the other watching him, a look of confusion on his face. “I suppose it’s because I heard you all making a ruckus downstairs, and you sounded lost without me. I came to offer my assistance.”

    “No, really.” Blue frowned a bit, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly, looking away. “You… You don’t really like Sans, do you? Why would you come help us on a rescue mission?”

    Razz looked both ways, his eyes narrowed as he tried to detect if any of the others were eavesdropping. They’d left the throne room in favor of heading back to the elevator where they’d split off with Red, and he was satisfied that the other skeletons weren’t listening in to their conversation when he say them talking in a small group a short ways off. “Perhaps it was because of an idiot who fucked up everyone’s worlds in order to find me.”

    Blue’s expression immediately fell when he said that, biting his scarf nervously as he hid his frown. “I-I know I messed up! You don’t have to bring it up again, but… This part really wasn’t my fault…”

    “I wasn’t finished. Perhaps it was because said idiot spent hours, days even, trying to get to know me through a door and some paper. Perhaps this idiot did just that, despite the physical boundaries, and now I have a soft spot for this monster. Perhaps I decided to come along because Sans, another idiot, happens to be friends with  _ my _ idiot, and my idiot cares about their friends.” He rolled his eyes, though Blue still looked confused.  _ Maybe my point isn’t getting across. _ “In short, what I’m saying is I didn’t come along for Sans’ sake, I came for you.”

    “R-Really?” Blue dropped his scarf from his face, looking a bit hopeful now that he’d said it outright. “I thought… I thought maybe you didn’t like the whole letters thing. I thought maybe you were just doing it so I would leave you alone, or that maybe you just came along because of your brother-”

    “Blue. I don’t like many monsters, but over the past few weeks you’ve won my trust.” Razz chuckled, crossing his arms. “While I may not consider us ‘soulmates’ or whatever you say, I do believe there’s some sort of connection. Don’t let it go to your head.”

    It seemed like Razz’s words flew right by the other, because his expression immediately changed to one of joy, and he was nearly knocked over in a surprise hug, barely managing to keep his balance.

    “Thank you, Razz. Thank you for giving me a chance. You don’t know what this means to me.” Blue’s voice was thick with emotion, and while Razz felt a bit uncomfortable with the display, he returned the hug after a few moments, patting the other on the back.

    “You’re welcome.”

    “Get a room!”

    “Boss, I swear to god I’m going to kill you.”

 

* * *

 

 

    “Sans! Are you alright? How did you get those marks on your eye?” Papyrus was hurrying over within three seconds of the pair’s arrival at the ground floor, giving his older brother the jacket he’d found, a worried look on his face.

    “I’m okay, Paps. At least, I will be in a little.” Sans gave him a tired smile, before the others came over to greet them.

    “We should get back home soon. While the queen may have allowed us to leave, who knows if and when she’ll change her mind.” Boss grunted, glancing between the two skeletons. “I suppose we’ll be teleporting again.”

    “Yeah, yeah. Hold on, I gotta talk ta Sans for a second.” Red grumbled, flipping the bird at his brother, as he turned to his soulmate, though Sans had no clue what this was about.

    “Somethin’ wrong, Red?” He asked, slipping his jacket back on easily, fiddling with the drawstrings as he waited for the other to speak.

    His face was a bright shade of red, which Sans found endearing, before he mumbled something unintelligible, burying his mouth in the fur on his hood.

    “You’re gonna have ta speak up, I can’t understand anythin’ you’re saying.”

    “... Can I hold yer hand?”

    The request took a few moments to sink in, before Sans’ face went blue, and he blinked before nodding slightly. “I- Sure, but why now?”

    “Do I have ta have a reason?” Red blubbered, his face strongly resembling a tomato at this point. “Just- here.” He shoved his hand out of his pocket, holding it out to Sans as he looked away, huffing.

    Sans hesitated for a moment before smiling, taking the other’s hand in his own.

    A yelp from the other told Sans that he’d forgotten to leave the joybuzzer at home when he dropped off the groceries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now  
> the fluff truly begins  
> (honestly when I thought of this story it was supposed to just be a kustard soulmate au where there was just a bunch of random moments of fluff and it was like a slice of life thing but it turned into actual plot and here we are @w@"")


	13. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue finally decides that things are starting to turn around, and sans and red have a little movie date.

    Two weeks had passed since the incident with Toriel, and ever since they’d brought Sans back home, there had been no news from the queen.

    Despite that, the skeletons’ home seemed brighter than ever, with Sans and Red growing closer each day. Razz had even started leaving his room on a semi-regular basis, hanging out more with Blue and Boss, who he had begrudgingly admitted was ‘not quite annoying as the rest of them’.

    All in all, Blue couldn’t ask for anything else. Even his brother seemed happier than he’d been in a long time, and the sight of him walking around Snowdin with Hapstablook last week had him smiling like a dork for the rest of the day.

    “You seem happy about something.” Blue hadn’t noticed Razz approaching, one of his raspberry jalapeno tacos in hand. After the entire incident that had caused Razz to come out of his room in the first place, it had seemed like it was almost impossible to tear him away from those things. He’d even asked Blue if he’d teach him how to make them, though it was through one of their letters.

    Not that Blue minded, the prospect of teaching someone else how to cook was almost too exciting to bear, and he was finally getting to spend more time with Razz, even if he didn’t necessarily see him as his soulmate yet.

    “Well, I’m happy because everyone else seems happy!” He grinned widely, resuming what he’d been doing before the other had stepped in, which was trying out a new recipe the he’d gotten from Grillby. “I’m really glad that everything finally seems to be working out, even if it’s only been a few weeks. It’s also really silly to watch Sans and Red, they’re such hopeless romantics!” He chuckled, before glancing out the kitchen doorway.

    The other skeletons he’d mentioned were sitting on the couch, watching something on TV, though their attention seemed to be invested in each other. It was almost touching, seeing them interact after everything that had happened with them.

    “Well, I suppose I agree with you there. There doesn’t seem to be any problems here, it’s been… Peaceful, these past two weeks.” Razz hummed, before looking over Blue’s shoulder. “What are you making this time?”

    “Oh, it’s this dish called kimchi that Grillby told me about! Apparently it was really popular on the surface, I don’t know about now.” Blue shrugged, going back to chopping lettuce. “It takes a while to make, though, so you can’t eat any of it right now!”

    “What a shame. I suppose I’ll have to make do with your raspberry tacos for now.” Razz rolled his eyes, before leaning back on a counter. “I’m heading off to the grocery store to pick up those ingredients you asked for, along with some condoms for Sans and Red-”

    “Oh, _fuck off_ , it isn’t like that, ya prick!” A snarl sounded from the living room, and Blue chuckled a bit at Red’s reaction.

    “I don’t think he’ll accept them gracefully. Maybe save those for another day.” He suggested, earning a small smile from Razz.

    “I suppose. Either way, I’ll be sure to get you another blue pen, too. You’ve been writing in all red recently.”

    As Razz walked out the door, Blue decided not to mention the fact that he wasn’t out of blue pens after all.

 

* * *

 

 

    “The nerve a’ that guy, I swear.” Red grumbled, slumping back on the couch with a huff. “If Blue didn’t care about ‘im I woulda strangled ‘im by now.”

    “At least he didn’t bite you. My hand still feels sore sometimes, that guy’s got razor teeth.” Sans joked, absentmindedly flipping to another channel. “Maybe Blue _bit off more than he could chew_.”

    “Well, personally I think the _tooth_ a’ them will get along just peachy.” Red scoffed, though he kept sliding down the couch, not bothering to pick himself back up.

    “Red, you’re on the floor.”

    “Sans, you’re on the couch.”

    “Dork, ‘m talkin’ about how you just slid down. Get back up here.” Sans chuckled, setting the remote down in favor of poking the other in the arm. “You’re gonna ruin your posture, sitting like that.”

    “Oh, yer one ta talk, Mr. ‘I Steal All The Blankets And Then Hunch Over In Them Watching Dorky Ass Movies’.” Red lightly swatted his hand away, though Sans could tell he didn’t really mean it. “I see yer movie collection, yer Alphys gave ya nothin’ but romantic movies n’ animated features. Maybe that’s why yer such a sap.”

    “I take offense to that. If anyone’s the sap it’s you, if I’m remembering this correctly _you_ came to _me_ first when we met.” Sans poked him on the cheekbone this time, holding back another laugh. “I know you’ve watched Bambi at least three times since the worlds merged.”

    “Whoa, okay Sans, that might be a little far. I think we can both agree that Bambi’s a good ass movie. There’s angst _and_ cooties, exactly what I want in a movie.”

    “Well, my _deer_ , ‘m gonna have to show you the Lion King some time. I think I still have the copy somewhere in the lab.” Sans grinned, before standing up and offering his hand to the other to help him up.

    Red took it after checking that there wasn’t a joybuzzer in it, standing up next to Sans and raising a non-existent eyebrow. “The Lion King? Sounds cheesy as fuck. I’d be _lion_ if I said I wasn’t interested, though.”

    “You’ll be _royally_ screwed if you weren’t. ‘Cause I’m plannin’ on watching it again tonight, and you’re gonna watch it with me.” For a moment Sans just closed his sockets, taking in everything about this moment. The light noise of the TV in the background, the giddy feeling that was building up in his ribcage, the warmth of the other’s hand in his… _Wait, fuck._

    Sans pulled away rather suddenly, his face flushing as he realized that he hadn’t let go of the other, even after he’d gotten up. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean-”

    “Sans, this is proof that yer the fuckin’ dork. Yer even embarrassed to be holdin’ hands, how innocent _are_ you?” Red snorted, before heading over to the kitchen, shooting a wink at the other. “‘M gonna go make some popcorn with loads a’ butter, you go get the movie an’ we’ll meet up here in ten, got it?”

    “Yeah, yeah.”

     _Holy shit, those charms are going to kill me._

 

* * *

 

 

    This was the story of how Red ended up watching the Lion King with Sans at 7, and then Bambi at 9, and then Old Yeller at 11 and finally, Overboard in the present…

    The entire night had been one huge feels trip, and Red was trying to keep a strong face in front of Sans, even if his soul was crying out for these characters.

    Now, it was just stupid fucking romance.

    “Isn’t this just Stockholm Syndrome or some shit?” Red commented, though Sans just raised a finger to silence him.

    “Shh, she doesn’t know that he’s not her husband. The ending is great, I promise.”

    “You said that fer Old Yeller, and the do-”

    “Don’t remind me about what happened to Old Yeller. It’s too much to think about.” Sans exhaled deeply, clutching at his sternum dramatically. “Sometimes, I can still hear him barking…”

    “Remind me why you don’t believe yer a dork, _fur_ real though.”

    “Red, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Just shut up and watch the movie.” He elbowed the other lightly, before adjusting the blanket that was lying on them.

     _I still don’t know how I managed to get him to share. What a blanket hog._ Red thought, though he felt a rush of affection when he saw the other staring at the screen, munching on some more popcorn.

    Red glanced over at the clock that he’d moved downstairs from his room, actually being able to see it now, raising his arms and stretching, before putting one around Sans.

    “... Did you just yawn and then put your arm around me?” Sans turned to look at him, a neutral expression on his face.

    “Yeah. Whatcha gonna do ‘bout it, Sansy?” Red grinned widely, sticking his tongue out at the other as the movie played in the background.

    “Nothing. It’s nice.”

    And with those three words, Red was blushing like crazy, glad that the darkness of the room hid it from the other. _Holy shit, I didn’t think he could get any cuter._

 

    When Boss came back from his station in the morning, he found the two asleep just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i needed some fluff, sue me @w@  
> also i mentioned the whole kimchi thing because i feel like i might have to explain cooking in the future and i don't know anything about the cooking processes for any kind of food except korean food


	14. Just Hanging Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue decides to ask red for advice, and razz is salty and clingy.

    In the days following Sans and Red’s movie night, the house became even more cheerful, something that Red didn’t think was possible.

    He and Sans had become nearly inseparable, and hand holding had become a regular part of their daily activities. Blue and Razz had downgraded their letters to small notes left around the house, the only reason being because of their newfound face-to-face contact, which, in Red’s opinion, had taken way too long to take off. Boss had come home one day in an unusually good mood, with dark red kisses dotting his skull.

    All in all, Red didn’t think it could get any better. Everyone seemed happy, and they hadn’t heard from Toriel in weeks, something they were all relieved about.

    “Red! Red, I need to talk to you!” A voice cut through his thoughts, and the enthusiasm and pep behind it immediately told him it was Blue. “Do you think we can go walk around town for a little bit?”

    “I was plannin’ on watching a movie with Sans, bu-”

    “Great! I’m sorry, I wouldn’t ask you if this wasn’t urgent.” Blue gave him an apologetic smile, before calling out to the others that they’d be out for a while, practically dragging Red out the door.

    “Geez, Blue. What’s goin’ on? Yer actin’ really weird right now.” Red scratched the back of his skull, regaining his balance once Blue had led them into the town square, where a few of the monsters glanced over, but kept their distance.

    “Alright. So, Razz and I have actually been talking, and I found out that his birthday is in a week!” Blue began, his words tumbling out of his mouth faster than Red had thought possible. For anyone.

    “So ya want my help findin’ somethin’ ta get him?” He guessed, shivering a bit as he shoved his hands in his pockets for warmth, rocking slightly on his feet.

    “No! I already know what I’m going to get him. Physically, at least, but… I… I wanted to ask him out for his birthday! It’s been going really well, and I think we’re both ready for it! I just don’t know how to even go about doing it, I’ve never asked anyone out before, and sometimes I just don’t know what’s going on in his head and-”

    “Blue, slow down. If you think that yer ready to ask ‘im out, then go fer it. If he’s ready then he’ll tell ya. Maybe you can do somethin’ with yer notes n’ shit, ya guys still write those, right?” Red suggested, a bit overwhelmed by how much the other had said at once.

    “Oh! That’s an idea!” Blue smiled widely, before a thoughtful look crossed his face. “Can I ask you how you’d respond to something like that? You and Razz are kind of similar, so…”

    “If ya wanted similar personalities, you shoulda gone to my bro.” Red snorted, though he thought about the question for a few moments, before speaking up. “I’d probably say  _ fuck yeah _ . Ya can’t make it all sappy n’ shit, though, not if ya want him to take ya seriously. Somethin’ short and simple should do the trick, and if it doesn’t you can always talk it out with ‘im.”

    “Yeah… Yeah, I like that idea! Thanks, Red!” Blue gave him a hug, which Red hesitantly accepted, patting the other on the back. “Here, let me treat you to Grillby’s! I know you really like that place-”

    “Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?  _ Hell _ yeah!”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans was down in the lab, running tests and checking the statistics of the new universe, actually wearing his glasses for once. The truth was, his eyesight in his right eye was pretty shit.

    The universe seemed to be stable, there didn’t seem to be any time anomalies, (not that he had expected any, the child living in the castle seemed to be quiet and friendly,) and the levels of LOVE surprisingly hadn’t increased by too much, despite the additions of Razz’s universe.

    “Wow. Guess there really isn’t anything to worry about, ‘s far as the new universe is concerned.” Sans let out a low whistle, pushing himself away from the desk he was sitting at, the rolling chair taking him all the way back to the other wall. “Wonder when Red n’ Blue are gonna get back.” He stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before a subtle pain made him sit up, his hand immediately going to his right eye. “Aw, shit… Maybe ‘m pushin’ myself a little too much. I still gotta get that HoPe back from earlier.”

    The three marks that Toriel had left on his socket were still there, and at this point Sans didn’t even know if they’d ever disappear entirely. Papyrus had done his best to heal it using his magic, however it hadn’t done much in the long run.

    “Gah… Maybe I’ll go get an ice pack or somethin’. That would be pretty  _ cool _ .”

    “Sans, I literally  _ just _ got here and you’ve already made a pun.” The voice behind him made him jump in his chair, turning around to face the intruder, who turned out to be Razz. “Are you done talking to yourself like a weirdo?”

    “Aw, Razz. Be a little nicer, my puns are  _ sans _ ational.” He grinned, before leaning back in the chair again, spinning around slowly. “What can I do for ya, buddy?”

    “I’d like to know why Blue is spending his afternoon with Red instead of me. And you! Red is  _ your _ ‘soulmate’, as Blue calls it. Why doesn’t this bother you?” Razz demanded, his sockets narrowing.

    Sans blinked, stopping his spinning with a foot. “Why? Razz, it’s ‘cause they’re friends. Friends hang out, they don’t have to spend  _ every _ waking moment with us.”

    “Blue said that a soulmate was meant only for you. I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

    “Razz, don’t be too possessive. A soulmate  _ is _ meant only for you, but… in a relationship kinda way. Blue likes you,  _ a lot _ , I know that, but sometimes it’s fun to hang out with other monsters too, ya know? Even if Blue’s spendin’ time with Red, you’re still on his mind. I guarantee it.”

    “I suppose I still have a lot to learn about this new universe.” Razz crossed his arms, looking around the lab as he did so. “... So, what have you been doing in here?”

    “Well, Red n’ Paps aren’t around, so I thought I’d research the new universe. Seems like everythin’s goin’ as normally as it could be, but I think there’s still  _ worlds _ about this universe that we don’t know.” Sans chuckled, grinning at the other.

    “I see. On another note, I was about to go out for the groceries. Would you… like to accompany me? As just a ‘friend’?” Razz seemed nervous about even asking, drumming his fingers against his arm. “I thought that if Blue had friends, I should at least attempt to do the same.”

    “Now you’re gettin’ it! ‘Course I’ll come, I’ve finished up here, anyway.”

 

* * *

 

 

    “Hey, Sans. I heard ya went ta the store with Razz, how’d it go?” Red was leaning back on the couch, eating chips from a bag and watching Bambi when he heard the other walk in, brushing some snow off of his jacket.

    It took him a few moments to notice that he was wearing glasses, which was actually pretty adorable.

    “Oh, hey, Red! It went pretty well, I bought some more a’ those chips that you liked. Got some more condiments, too.”

    “Great! I was just runnin’ outta those. Thanks, sweetheart.” Red flashed a grin at the other, before beckoning him over, scooting over on the couch.

    “You’re still usin’ that nickname?” Sans chuckled a bit, dropping the bags he’d brought with him before sitting down next to the other, glancing at the movie that was playing in the background.

    “It’s fittin’. Not to mention the fact that I think ya sat on sugar, ‘cause ya got a pretty sweet ass.” Red winked and finger gunned, before taking the other’s hand gently in his own.

    “Stars, you’re an absolute dork. I can’t believe you. You’ve already used the sugar and sweet jokes, you’re not leaving any for me.” Sans dramatically threw an arm over his face, sniffling a bit. “You’re so mean.”

    “Aw, lighten up, at least I make the good puns.” Red rolled his eyes, giving the other’s hand a light squeeze. “Didja wanna watch anythin’ specific?”

    “Bambi’s fine. Just this once, though.” Sans chuckled again, before stealing one of Red’s chips, looking at the screen now.

    Red kept watching the other for a few moments, before he felt his face heat up, thoughts suddenly running through his head.

_ God, Blue’s already fuckin’ askin’ Razz out, n’ I haven’t even made a real  _ move _ with Sans yet. What if he’s not ready? What if I mess it up and he doesn’t wanna be with me anymore? Shit, I didn’t think about that- _

    “Red? Red, is somethin’ wrong? You’re staring, n’ your face is really flushed.” Sans blinked from behind those dorky ass glasses, and somehow it made Red fall head over heels for the other all over again.

    “Sans, I- Shit, can we kiss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hAHA I DIDN'T ACTUALLY WRITE THE KISSING PART  
> DON'T KILL ME


	15. Make A Move (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue and razz just hang out, and red deals with the results of his sudden burst of courage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a question!  
> should i add more of papyrus' perspective/thoughts/papyrus in general into this fic, or would you rather if it stayed more sans-centric like it is now? tell me what you think! i'd love to hear what your thoughts on it are- ^^

    Razz was sitting in his room, working on sewing another scarf. It was meticulous work, especially considering how careful every hemmed edge was, along with the fact that Razz embroidered each scarf he made personally.

    He often got so lost in his work that he would completely forget everything that went on around him, and his thoughts were broken into by a knock on the door and a cheerful voice asking “Can I come in?”

    Razz let out an affirmative grunt, still focusing heavily on the scarf, though the sound of the door opening and closing drew his attention to the other skeleton now standing in the room, who was beaming.

    “I made some more tacos for you! Are you almost done working on the scarf?” Blue strode over and leaned forwards to see Razz’s hands, which were busy at work embroidering some sort of design on the blue fabric.

    “No, however, I suppose a break wouldn’t hurt. Thank you, Blue.” Razz stood up from his chair, stretching his arms and glancing over at his clock, realizing that he’d spent more than five hours in that day alone working on the scarves. While he’d taken a break with Sans and only gotten back ten minutes ago, his fingers still ached. “Did you need something else?”

    “Actually, yes! I had a question to ask you.” Blue chirped, looking curious as he glanced at the other. “What was your favorite place in your universe?”

    “My favorite place?” Razz repeated, humming thoughtfully as he brought up his memories.

    The Ruins had been… Less than ideal. Haunted by a grief-stricken father who had lost everything in one night, and quite frankly scared him, in a way.

    Snowdin was alright, but he lived there. He could hardly say it was his favorite place, seeing as he was there so often, and there was nothing new to see.

    Waterfall was beautiful, and some said it was reminiscent of the night sky on the Surface, but where others had seen beauty, Razz had seen nothing but bleak gray, and felt the coldness of stone. It was far from his favorite place.

    “I’d say Hotland.” Razz finally stated, which made Blue tilt his head, his mouth shaped like a small ‘o’.

    “Hotland, huh? I thought you’d say Waterfall or something. Not that Hotland is bad! I think that makes you unique! It certainly reflects your fiery personality!”

    “Blue, you’ve been spending too much time with Red and Sans. Their puns are beginning to rub off on you.” Razz groaned, face palming and shaking his head. “Why do you ask, though?”

    “Oh, I’m just asking all four of us to see if we have the same opinions on the world- Just to see how different we are, you know? Red and Sans both like Waterfall, by the way.” Blue scratched the back of his skull, giving the other a cheesy smile. “Anyway, do you want those tacos? I actually brought them upstairs to my room, I think Sans and Red are having a moment downstairs.”

    “About fucking time, it’s been absolutely awful seeing them dance around their affections like this.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Sans blinked, taking a few moments to process what Red had said before he felt his face burning like a flame, staring at Red in complete surprise.

    “D-Did you say kiss?” He stammered, his sockets going wide.

     _Oh stars, is he serious? What if he’s just joking and I make myself look like an idiot? Oh my god, Red, why are you so difficult to read-_

     “‘M completely serious, Sans. I’ve been thinkin’ about it fer a while, and I… I really like you. I’ve told ya this before, but talkin’ with Blue made me realize some things. I wanna be closer to you, I wanna be someone you can talk to, I know you’ve had doubts and issues with soulmates before, but I wanna _show_ you what you’ve shown me.” Red’s face was flushed as he said this, though he didn’t break eye contact with Sans once. “And if you don’t wanna kiss me, that’s fine, we can go back to watchin’ Bambi and laughin’ ‘cause they’re all twitterpated. Really. I promise it won’t be awkward.”

    “... No, no. I… I’d like to kiss you. God, that sounds so dorky when I say it out loud, holy shit.” Sans face palmed, adjusting his glasses afterwards in embarrassment. “You’ve been nothing but patient and understanding, Red. It’s just really hard for me not to fall head over heels for ya.”

    “Glad the feelin’s mutual. I thought I was gonna break when I saw those glasses yer wearin’, ‘cause holy _shit_ those are fuckin’ adorable.” Red snickered, lightly pressing his forehead to the other’s. “‘M really glad I got the chance ta meet ya, Sans. All that sappy stuff they tell ya about yer soulmate bein’ yer other half ended up bein’ true, huh?”

    Sans let out a soft laugh at that, his face still feeling hot as he smiled at Red, who now had his arms wrapped around him. “I guess it did.”

 

    The kiss was soft and brief, yet at the same time it was everything Sans could have wanted out of a relationship, and the emotion and tenderness that he could just _feel_ behind it could have brought him to tears.

    Red pulled back after a few moments, grinning like a dork as he pressed his skull to Sans’ again. “Hey, sweetheart. Yer glasses are a little crooked.”

    Sans blinked at the statement, before hastily adjusting his glasses again, huffing as he crossed his arms. “It’s not my fault I don’t have ears. I can’t _see_ when my glasses start slidin’ all over the place.”

    “Pfft, _eye_ see what ya did there. Not my fault yer glasses escape yer _frame_ a’ mind.” Red snorted in return, though he pulled the other onto his lap and leaned back on the couch, his eyes going back to the screen.

    “Really? Red, you’re not even that much taller than me, how can you see the screen-”

    “Sweetheart, I got a good two or three inches on you. I can totally see. Bambi n’ his friends are paradin’ through the woods ‘cause everyone’s all mushy an’ shit n’ they’re not.”

    “God, you’re such a dork.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Blue glanced out his bedroom door as the murmuring downstairs stopped, spotting Sans and Red spooning, still watching Bambi. “I don’t understand why they like that movie so much. They must have watched it at least three times this week.”

    “The movie selection those two have is pitiful compared to what I have in my room.” Razz scoffed, a taco in hand as he leaned back on the chair that Blue had in his room, finishing it off with a bite. “There’s only so many movies they can watch. I suppose they’ve just picked a favorite.”

    “I guess so. Do you want any more of those tacos? I have some more downstairs, but-”

    “It’s fine, thank you, Blue. It was delicious.” Razz nodded, before glancing over at the other, a spark in his eyes. “Though, I believe you said you’d be teaching me how to make them myself sooner or later.”

    “Oh! Right, I did! I’m sorry, that slipped my mind for a little. Do you want to try making them for your birthday? I think that’s the perfect occasion for this!” Blue piped up, swinging his legs off the side of his bed as he ran the recipe through his head, his thoughts flying all over as he tried to decide what would be the best way to teach the prickly, self-assured Razz how to make raspberry jalapeno tacos.

    “I suppose that will work well. Are you still set on the intent to throw a party for me? I don’t see the need for it, there’s only the eight of us, anyway.” He grumbled, crossing his legs and looking a bit sour, though Blue knew he didn’t really feel any ill will towards him.

    “Of course! As a wonderful friend and soulmate, I _must_ throw the best party for you! You’ve come so far since we met for the first time, and I want to show you just how much everyone else cares for you, even if you don’t see it!” Blue grinned widely, leaning forward on his bed as his eyes sparkled. “Just you wait, it’s gonna be the best birthday you’ve ever had!”

    “I believe you, Blue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! i'm done with my ap tests, and school's going to be out in about two weeks- i can't wait!  
> i hope you guys enjoy this chapter, people were saying i should do more with the idea of sans wearing glasses, so i tried to emphasis that a little bit more in this chapter-  
> y'all really like sans with glasses, don't you? :P


	16. Stress and Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which blue is stressing himself out too much and stretch steps in, and in which sans and red find a star.

    “No, no, no! That’s not right!” Blue was at his breaking point, his limbs twitching irritably, and he swore that he would have torn out his hair if he had any. “God, this is  _ stupid _ !”

    The thing that was bothering Blue so much at the moment happened to be the paper in front of him on his desk, which was littered with other small papers, some blue and some red, all crumpled up and thrown haphazardly around his room.

    Blue let his skull fall onto the desk, letting out a loud sigh as he closed his sockets, grimacing as he tapped his pen against the wood. “Why is it so hard to write about this now?” He groaned, his foot tapping as he scoured his mind for ideas. “Short and simple, that’s what Red said…”

    “Hey, Blue? You alright in there? ‘M comin’ in.” The voice outside his door made him jump in his chair, frantically trying to dispose of the multitude of crumpled papers, though the fact that the other skeleton stepped in soon after saying that didn’t give him much time to react.

    “Oh, hi, Stretch! Don’t mind me, I’m just, uh, cleaning out my drawers.” Blue’s expression immediately changed to a grin as he saw his brother, though inside he was still panicking about his notes.

    “Damn… Blue, what happened in here? What are all these papers? You look like you haven’t slept in a week.” Stretch commented, walking over to him, trying to avoid squashing any of the papers underfoot. “Are you alright, bro?”

    “No.” The shorter brother gave a sigh of defeat, holding his face in his hands as he took a deep breath. “I’ve become such a slob. I tried throwing them all away, I really did, but then the garbage can got full, and I didn’t think I had enough time to empty it, and then- and then-”

    “Whoa, Blue, slow down. I wasn’t sayin’ this was bad or anythin’, it’s just unusual. What’s wrong? You know you can talk ta me, right?” Stretch cleared the distance between the two at last, kneeling down and taking one of Blue’s hands in his, a concerned look on his face. “Did something happen that made you upset?”

    “... I wanted to ask Razz out for his birthday.” Blue mumbled, wiping at his sockets in an attempt to stop the tears that he felt forming from ever falling down his cheekbones. “And I wanted to use the notes, because that’s something special and unique that we do, but I just… I can’t figure out what to say. I only have one day left, if I don’t say this right he might- he might-”

    “Blue. You’re amazing and caring, the fact that you’re wearin’ yourself this thin trying to find the perfect thing to say proves that.” Stretch said firmly, standing up again and lifting Blue to his feet. “But I don’t know if you’re ready for this, and I don’t know if Razz is either. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve made a lot, and I mean  _ a lot _ of headway in your relationship. Hell, Razz didn’t even know the concept of soulmates when he first got here, but… Maybe you need a little more time. ‘N it’s fine if you do, it doesn’t mean you’re any less of a monster, but while askin’ him out on his birthday is a sweet notion, you gotta consider how this is makin’  _ you _ feel, too.”

    “But… I wanted to make this perfect. I know I’ve spent my whole life without him, but now that he’s here I feel so upset when he’s gone. I don’t want to have to wait, it’s alright if I have to stress a little over how I’m going to do it! It’s going to be worth it in the end.” Blue looked down, glancing over his bedroom floor for the first time since he had started writing.  _ It really is filthy in here. _

    “Bro, while I know that’s what you want, you gotta think this whole thing through. Yeah, askin’ him out on his birthday would be real romantic and all, but it doesn’t have to be on his birthday, ya know? Imagine how weird that would be, celebratin’ his birthday and your anniversary on the same day, it would be a little chaotic.” Stretch chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “You have somethin’ else for him, right?”

    Blue nodded slowly, his mind finally slowing down now that his brother had dragged him away from his desk, taking a few moments to just breathe.

    “Then just get him that for now. Throw him that party that you’ve been talkin’ about all week, and maybe, in a week or two when you’ve had time to really think about what you wanna say, you can ask him out then.” Stretch gave him a small smile, patting him on the head, much to Blue’s annoyance. “I’m not tryin’ to boss you around, I want you to know that. But I wanna make sure you’re alright, physically and emotionally, n’ right now it just feels like you’re takin’ on too much at once. It’s alright to take a break, bro.”

    “I think… I think you may be right. However, the magnificent Sans will not be deterred! We’ll still have that party, and it’ll still be the best party ever!” Blue perked up a bit, seeing his brother smiling at him. It wasn’t often that he smiled, and Blue’s heart felt a little bit lighter every time he saw his younger brother with that soft expression on his face. “Thank you, Papyrus.”

    “Aw, geez. I’ve gotten so used to Stretch that hearin’ my real name just sounds weird now.” The taller brother scratched the back of his skull, laughing a bit. “But get some rest now, alright? I imagine you’ve been stayin’ up trying to finish this. I’ll go buy those things you wanted for the party, just as long as you sleep for a little.”

    “Something about this feels backwards.” Blue narrowed his sockets, though he punched Stretch’s arm lightly, laughing a little himself. “Alright, thanks, Stretch. Don’t forget to buy those whoopee cushions.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Red was taking a nap on the couch, still worn out from the shift that he’d covered for Boss the other night. Not that they were needed at the sentries anymore, as it appeared that Toriel didn’t want anything to do with them, and the skeletons were no longer linked to the Royal Guard. However, Boss was set on being the first to find the next human that fell, and so Red still had to carry out his duties.

    “Hey, sleepy-skulls.” Red could feel a weight pressing down on his legs, and he groaned in protest and pulled his blanket over his face. “Heeeeey, Red. Wake up.”

    “Sans, what is it? You gotta stop sittin’ on my legs, sweetheart.” He grumbled, lowering the blankets enough to peek out at the other, glaring half-heartedly as the other smiled.

    “I’m pregnant-”

    “... Okay Sans, what the actual _ fuck? _ ” Red sat up immediately, rubbing at his sockets in disbelief. “Yer fuckin’ with me.”

    “Sorry, sorry! I had to make sure you were awake.” Sans held up his hands defensively, though there was a mischievous look in his eyes. “I found something really cool in Waterfall an hour ago. I haven’t told anyone else yet because I want you to be the first to see it, but we have to go soon otherwise it’s gonna be too late!”

    “Stars, you scared me fer a second there.” Red let out a yawn, stretching his arms before pulling the other to him, tempted to just fall back down and sleep again with Sans in his arms. “You sure this can’t wait? I wanna sleep some more.”

    “Red, if we don’t go soon it’s gonna have passed! C’mon, let me go, you dork!” Sans pushed lightly at the other, snorting as the other pretended to snore, over exaggerating a little too much.

    “Alright, alright. You said this thing was in Waterfall?” Red let the other go reluctantly, though he held onto his hand, and the other pulled him off the couch with a grin.

    “Yeah! ‘M gonna teleport us there, okay?” Red nodded, and Sans kept holding his hand as he snapped his fingers, the house fading around them, being replaced with the familiar navy walls of the caves.

    “Okay, Mr. Enthusiastic. What did you want me to see?” Red asked, looking around to see if anything out of the ordinary was there. “If it’s not cool enough ‘m headin’ back home to take another nap.”

    “It’s worth it, I promise.” Sans started walking down one of the passages, his eyes scanning the walls as he went. “It was just around here… Oh, there it is!”

    The telescope that was usually covered in pink paint was standing over at a corner, aimed at what seemed to be an uninteresting part of the wall, lacking any of the stones that lit up the caves.

    Despite this, Sans ran over and looked through the telescope, his grin immediately widening as he pulled back and dragged Red over.

    “Go ahead, look through it!” Sans urged, practically bouncing as the other leaned down to put his socket up to the lens, closing his other eye.

    “... I don’t see anythin’ yet.” Red grumbled, before the other face palmed, adjusting one of the knobs on the side.

    “Oh, duh. Sorry, I forgot that I have shit vision. Tell me when you start seein’ somethin’.” Red snorted, though he kept staring through the lens, finally starting to see a spark of light in a sea of dark blue.

    “Wait- I see somethin’. It… It almost looks like star, sweetheart.” Red furrowed his nonexistent brows as he kept staring, and the image became more clear, appearing to be a dim light suspended in air.

    “That’s exactly what it is, Red.” Sans sounded more excited that Red had ever heard him over anything, other than their relationship, but it made Red look again at that small light in the distance, his mouth open now.

    “Really? That’s a star? But- How? We’re underground, I thought you just had this old telescope aimed at a wall-”

    “There’s a crack in the wall. I found it earlier today, and I made it just wide enough to put the telescope through. I don’t know how or why, but there’s a straight hole, goin’ all the way down from the Surface to here.”

    “Stars, that’s- that’s amazin’, Sans! Holy shit, I can’t believe it- That’s a fucking  _ star _ , and we can see it from here!” Red gaped, still staring through the telescope. “Do you have any idea which one it is?”

    “Well, just based on how bright it is, I think it might be Sirius or Canopus- or Alpha Centauri! I don’t think there’s any way to be sure, though. We can only see a tiny portion of the sky from here, and we don’t have any reference for where anything else is up there.” Sans frowned a bit, though he smiled again, hugging Red from the side as he looked through the telescope. “Can you believe it, though? A real star, that we can see down here in the Underground. It’s beautiful.”

    “Damn right it is, holy shit. I can’t believe our luck.” Red took a step back from the telescope, grinning fondly at the other. “Yer a real astronomer, ya know that?” He snorted, kissing the other on the cheekbone.

    “Well if I’m the astronomer, then you can be the astronaut.” Sans rolled his sockets, though he leaned into the kiss, grinning himself. “I’ll even wear my glasses to make it look real.” His hand went into his pocket and came back with the wire glasses, putting them on his face. “Do I look like a super nerdy scientist, yet?”

    “You always look like a super nerdy scientist, Sans.” Red chuckled, pressing another kiss onto his forehead. “But yer my super nerdy scientist. I’ll be yer spaceman, if ya want me to.”

    “I think I’d like that.”

    “... I still think yer prettier than that star, by the way-”

    “Oh my god, just kiss me you god damn dork.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof; sorry for my short absense- @w@"  
> i also apologize for the angst i'm putting blue through  
> but i mean;; sans and red have had their fair share of angst, and now it's blue's turn. owo
> 
> but yeah  
> school's almost out, i'm super pumped, though i'm also super tired because i've been working on a lot of end of school projects, and i've also been working on a little animation for the two year anniversary of one of my ocs- (i know that sounds a little silly, but he's one of my favorite characters that i've made, and i can't believe i've had him for two years ;w;)  
> but yes  
> i hope you enjoy this chapter-  
> and the angst and fluff that comes with it uwu


	17. Drunk Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which razz's birthday finally comes along, and red is a clingy depressed drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to mention that i've never been in a relationship so i'm kind of making all this up on the go as i write it @w@""
> 
> also i have very limited experience being drunk so;; i'm sorry if red doens't accurately reflect that?

    “Happy birthday dear Razz, happy birthday to you!”

    Razz was a bit dumbfounded when he stepped out of his room in the afternoon, only to be greeted by everyone else in the house, standing outside of his door with grins on their faces (with the exception of Boss,) and a huge cake in their hands. “Jesus, I almost punched you idiots in the face. Don’t startle me like that!” He snapped, crossing his arms in a huff.

    “I’m sorry, Razz. We just really wanted to surprise you for your birthday! You said you’d never had a party for yourself, so we wanted to start your first off with a bang!” Blue gave an apologetic smile, before handing him a party hat, which was identical to the ones everyone else was wearing. “I know you don’t really like festivities, but just give it a chance! Please? For me?”

    Razz stared at the hat for a few seconds, before scoffing and putting it on, glaring at Blue as he shut the door to his room behind him. “Alright. At least it’s only for one day.”

    “Thank you, Razz! I made enough tacos for everyone, and we’re gonna go drinking after some of those party games- Though I’m just going to bring a water bottle for myself.” Blue frowned, looking to the others as they all headed down the stairs and towards the living room.

    “Blue, it’s a birthday party. Yer gonna drink with us.” Red snorted, nudging the other with his elbow. “Hey, Razz, ready fer yer presents? We all got ya somethin’, n’ after you open ‘em all we can eat this damn cake.”

    Razz looked at the cake again, not at all surprised to see it was in the shape of his face. “This is fucking ridiculous. Who the hell made this?”

    “We did.” Red grabbed Sans’ arm, grinning widely as he took credit. “Blue told us yer favorite flavor was raspberry, which really shouldn’ta surprised me, I guess. It’s chocolate raspberry with vanilla icing, it took _forever_ to make it n’ hide it from ya. You really gotta leave the house more often.”

    “Says the one who spends all day sitting inside with Sans watching Bambi.” Razz shot back, though it wasn’t a real argument like the ones he was used to. This felt more like… Banter, if he was honest. Friendly banter. _It’s nice_.

    “Okay, enough about all that shit. I’m sure Razz would want to open these presents so we can get on with the rest of the party.” Boss raised his voice, cutting off Red’s response, before holding out a small box with a bow on it. “While these idiots got you sappy shit, I thought it would be more appropriate to give you something of actual use.”

    Razz gave him a quizzical look, before taking the box from him and opening it, finding a… a book inside. “What the hell is this?”

    “It’s a dating guide. And a guide to soulmates. Seeing as you didn’t have any knowledge of them previously, something like this will definitely come in handy, seeing as you’re not the most social or open monster of the bunch.” Boss narrowed his eyes, before giving Razz a pat on the head. “Don’t say anything. You’ll thank me later.”

    Razz scowled when Boss touched his skull, obviously pointing out the height difference. “Yeah, whatever you say, asshole.”

     “As for my gift, Blue and I worked together to make you a cookbook!” Papyrus declared, setting a binder in his hands. “It may not have much in it right now, but Blue and I have compiled our best recipes into this book, including those tacos you adore so much! Once you start cooking too, you’ll be able to add your own in!” He seemed extremely excited, despite the fact that this was Razz’s party, and not his own.

    “I got ya a gift card fer Muffet’s. I know you don’t really like that place, but I don’t know ya too well, so I can’t really give ya much else.” Stretch dropped an envelope on top of the box that Boss had given him, shrugging. “I guess I could give ya my brother or something… Maybe.”

    “Stretch! Stop it!” Blue huffed, his face immediately flushing as he tried to hide from Razz, making him chuckle lightly.

    “I’ll think over that offer and tell you my answer later.” Razz stated, setting the box and the envelope down as he squinted at Stretch. _It feels like he knows something that I don’t._

    His thoughts were cut off as Red and Sans walked closer, Red holding a plastic bag and dropping it at his feet. “This is what we got ya. I’m sure you’ll go through ‘em within the month, but eh, can’t be helped.”

    Razz stared at the two curiously, before picking up the plastic grocery bag and looking inside of it, immediately freezing and glaring at them, malice in his eyes.

    “W-What’s in the bag?” Russ asked, his eyes wide as he spoke.

    “I- Red, you motherfucker.” Razz gritted his teeth, tempted to kick the other in the shin.

    “Oh my god- It’s just a bag full of condoms.” Stretch snorted, peering into the bag from the side and holding back laughter. “Jesus christ, guys. I don’t think they’re that far along yet.”

    “This is _revenge_ , asshole. Don’t tease us anymore.” Red grinned widely, a satisfied smirk on his face. “Don’t worry, though. That’s not your real present.”

    Sans, who had walked out of the room while Razz was looking in the bag, walked back in with a large box, setting it down next to the others. “We actually got you this- I hope you’re not too angry about the condoms, but yeah. Don’t tease us anymore. That’s a _dick_ move.”

    Razz scowled again, before he tore the wrapping paper off of the box, revealing a sewing machine, in pristine condition.

    “Holy shit-” He blinked, before ripping the rest of the paper off of the box to examine it more thoroughly, suddenly excited for his birthday. “Wow. Thanks, you two. Really.”

    “Took us a while to find, but once we found it we knew it was the best gift we’d find.” Sans grinned, taking a seat on the couch. “I’ve noticed a lot of bandaids on your hands lately, I know you’ve been sewin’ somethin’ special. Hopefully this’ll help ya with that.”

    Razz just gave him a nod, honestly feeling touched. “Thank you. I’m surprised you noticed.”

    “M’lo- I mean, Razz?” Russ stepped closer with his hands in front of him, fiddling with the drawstrings of his hood. “I-I made you something, but it’s something I’d rather give to you in private… If that’s alright, of course.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

    “That’s fine, Russ. Just talk to me after the party, alright?” Russ seemed to be surprised with the nonchalant answer that his brother gave him, which pulled at Razz’s soul. _I should’ve treated him better._

    “T-Thank you. I’ll make sure you have it by the end of the day.”

    “I might not have gotten you something as important as a sewing machine, but I did get you something you could use with that!” Blue piped up, dragging over a large box with an oversized red bow on it, wrapped in matching ribbon and covered in striped wrapping paper.

    Razz raised a non-existent eyebrow, curious as to what could possibly warrant a box that large, before carefully taking off the ribbons and tearing the wrapping paper, revealing that it was a cardboard box.

    Using his finger, he cut through the masking tape covering the flaps, opening it up to reveal stacks of fabric of all different colors, and threads to match.

    “I noticed when you were sewing earlier that you were using a lot of fabric that we had left over from old shirts and stuff in the closet. That just won’t do! So I talked to Grillby and Muffet to see if they could dig anything up, and we got all this!” Blue was beaming, leaning over to gauge Razz’s reaction. “Do you like it?”

    “Blue, I… I didn’t know you all noticed this much about me.” Razz began, looking down at the box as he took a deep breath. “I know I haven’t been the most pleasant monster to deal with. However, it is… touching to see other care about someone this much, never mind caring about _me_.”

    “Aw, Razz! I know you’ve had it rough.” Blue nodded sympathetically, giving him a smile as he spoke. “But you’re here now! We’re all here for you, even if you’re not ready to talk to us yet. I just want you to know that, even if this new universe seems scary and all.”

    “Thank you, Blue. That means a lot to me.”

    “By the way, what’re ya gonna do with all those condoms?”  
    “Stretch, shut the fuck up.”

 

* * *

 

 

     _This is chaos_.

    Sans had no idea how the hell Stretch had ended up lying upside down on one of the booths at Grillby’s, with Boss arguing with a potted plant right next to the other lanky skeleton. Russ was presumably telling his life story to a few other customers who were sitting at the bar, with Papy sitting on the other side telling Grillby just how much he appreciated him for always taking care of Sans, and Razz and Blue were challenging each other to see how many drinks they could knock back in a minute.

     _Yup. Everyone is definitely drunk._ Sans decided, letting out a sigh as he took a sip of his drink, though he decided to remain sober for the most part, in case anything got too out of hand.

    “Mmmm… Hey, sweetheart. Why’re ya _skull_ kin’ around over here?” Red slid over on the booth seat, putting an arm around Sans with his drink in hand. “Everyone else’s gettin’ absolutely wasted… Myself included.”

    Sans rolled his eyes, giving the other a grin. “That’s exactly why I’m still sober. Think of me like your designated driver.”

    Red squinted at him for a second, scowling lightly as he thought over what Sans had just said. “... Wait a minute, but we don’t have a car-”

    “If we’re all wasted and black-out drunk, how do you expect us to get home after all this?” Sans snorted, elbowing the other lightly in the ribs. “Stretch looks like he’s two seconds away from passing out and dying on that table over there.”  
    “Does that mean ya won’t drink with me?” Red looked at him with big eyes, trying to make the other break.

    “Nice try, Red. But I’m good, you get drunk all you want.” He chuckled, taking another sip out of his glass.

    “Aw, I wanted to have a drunk date. ‘T Sounds fun, don’t it?” Red slurred, slowly slipping down as he clung to the other.

    “I think you’re a little too drunk right now.” Sans laughed, patting the other lightly on the head. “But, _alcohol_ you about that date later. If you remember, that is.”

    Red scrunched up his nose, trying to think of a comeback to that pun, though he flopped down on his back dramatically, throwing his arms over his face. “‘S no use, I can’t think ‘f any puns to throw back at ya-”

    “I think we finally know who’s the superior pun master.” Sans joked, though he froze when Red started sniffling, wiping his eyes with his hands.

    “I know you’re the better punster. I’ve always known that, but I’ve been too stubborn to admit it to you. ‘N you’re so talented, I don’t know how you keep track a’ all yer science shit while taking care of everythin’ else. You always make time for yer bro ‘n me too, n’ sometimes I’m afraid that this is all a dream-”

    “Whoa, Red, slow down! You’re talkin’ nonsense right now, I’m not any better than anyone else. You’re the amazing one, if you ask me. You had to live in a universe where the one rule was kill or be killed, just like Razz did. ‘N look how you came out! A kind, honest and quirky sweetheart.” The other’s sudden outburst had taken Sans by surprise, though he pulled him close and hugged him. “I dunno where you’re gettin’ all these ideas, but none of it’s true. You’re _my_ soulmate, n’ that means something. Not only did you bring the color red into my life, you make me happy. Even now, you’re makin’ me feel safe and loved, and that’s something I didn’t think I’d ever experience.”

    Red’s face was flushed at this point, from tears and from embarrassment, though Sans just kissed his forehead lightly. “But- What if I wake up one day n’ yer not there? What if my head is just makin’ you up ‘cause ‘m so nervous all the time and yer not really here and, and-”

    “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.” Sans gave him a smile, still holding him close. “I’m always gonna be here, Red. I promise I’m not just a figment of your imagination. Everything that’s happened these past few months is real, I promise.”

    After he said that, Red just hiccuped, burying his face in the other’s jacket, sobbing quietly.

    “Thank god.”


	18. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which russ finally gives razz his birthday present, blue decides it's time to write his feelings away like a dork, and sans decides it's time for a change in attire.

    When the group returned home, Razz was surprised how relaxed everyone was, despite their normally tensed natures. Stretch fell asleep on the couch almost immediately, much to Sans’ dismay, while Red tried to drag him to his room for a sleepover, still very obviously drunk. Blue was busy talking with Papyrus in the kitchen, presumably exchanging recipes, and Boss had already gone to his room with a slice of cake, ready to retire for the night.

    “R-Razz?” His brother’s shaky voice sounded behind him, and the older brother turned around to face him, his non-existent eyebrow raised.

    Russ was holding a relatively small box, wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a small ribbon on top, though he could clearly see his brother’s hands shaking, even without much scrutiny.

    “I assume that was what you got me for my birthday?” Razz stated, before the box was handed to him quickly, a nervous expression on Russ’ face.

    “It- It may not be something you were expecting today, however, I… I made it myself. I hope you won’t throw it away…” Before Razz could open his mouth and respond, Russ was immediately hurrying down the hallway to his room, without another word to him.

    Razz stood there for a few moments, before shrugging it off as normal behavior, taking the box to his own room and closing the door behind him.

    “Honestly, what in Toriel’s name could he have not wanted to give me in front of the others?” He snorted, peeling away the wrapping paper and lifting the lid, his sockets immediately going wide.

    Inside was a book, with the words ‘Fluffy Bunny’ written on the cover. Razz wasted no time taking it out of the box, looking it over as he gaped.

     _This… This disappeared when the universes merged… There’s no way…_ He opened the cover and skimmed through all the pages, feeling… something building up in his chest as he looked at each page, in the back of his mind noting that there didn’t seem to be a single discrepancy from the original book. Every word was the same, every illustration, even the expressions of the characters’ faces took him back to the time years ago, when he was sitting with Papyrus, reading this same story.

    On the final page, a note was taped to the back cover, written in the familiar scrawl of his brother, prompting him to take a seat at his desk before gently taking the paper out.

 

    ‘I don’t know if this is the same kind of thing you do when you write notes with Blue, but happy birthday, Sans. I know we lost a lot of things when all this happened, but all the times that you read Fluffy Bunny to me at night were things that just couldn’t be forgotten. While it may not be much, I know that this book holds memories for both me and you, and while it’s not the same thing, consider it to be a little piece of home.

    Papyrus’

 

    Razz read the note over, rereading it several times to make sure that he saw every word. “He… remembered everything, and recreated it?” The skeleton took the book in his hand and flipped through it again, this time taking note of the illustrations, which were masterfully done, however knowing it was a replica, he could see the strokes of the pencil, and he smiled to himself.

    “Perhaps I’ll take the time to talk to him more about how he can pursue his… artistic hobbies.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Blue took a deep breath, sitting in the kitchen with a scrap of paper in his hand. It was the morning after Razz’s party, and if he was completely honest, he didn’t remember anything after going to Grillby’s. There was something about a drinking contest, which Red had persuaded Blue to join...

    Alcohol didn’t bode well with him, as it turned out.

    There was a light pressure on his forehead as he tried to write on the paper, as if he’d hit it against a wall. _I suppose this is what Stretch described as a ‘hangover’._ He slumped over and rested his cheek in his hand, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know why I ever agreed to that…”

    Despite his longing to crawl into bed and sleep it off, Blue had gotten up early for something specific. Something important that had been tugging at the back of his mind for the entirety of the party. _I still have to talk to Razz about… being soulmates._

    The paper he had in front of him currently had a short note on it, which was simple and didn’t dance around the topic, yet slightly vague. It felt almost incomplete to Blue, and for the past ten minutes it had been driving him nuts.

    That was when inspiration hit, and suddenly his eyes lit up, his hands grabbing the purple pen he had lying to his right, quickly scrawling something on the bottom of the paper.

    Though the nature of the letter couldn’t be determined as platonic or romantic from the words themselves, there couldn’t be any mistake.

    Because now, there was a little purple heart.

 

 

* * *

 

 

    Red was lounging on the couch the morning after Razz’s party, ungraciously spread out so he took up more than half of the cushions, despite the fact that he didn’t need all that space.

    He glanced over lazily to check the blue clock that was sitting on the table next to the couch, only to see the numbers ‘11:24’ brightly displayed in the same color that he so adored.

    “Wonder what’s takin’ him so long… Usually he’s up by now.” Red mumbled, tilting his head back again with a groan of frustration.

    “Perhaps he grew tired of your incessant whining.” Boss snapped, looking up from his book. “After laying on him all night, I’m sure he’s trying to get space.”

    Red looked over to where his brother was sitting at the table, a jolt of anxiety running down his spine before he forced himself to calm down, taking a breath. “He’d at least tell me beforehand. ‘M sure he’s just sleeping in or something.”

    As the words left his mouth, he heard the familiar creak of Sans’ door upstairs, immediately sitting up straight and glancing upwards, expecting to see the other slumped over and walking down the stairs.

    However, it took him a few moments to realize something was different when he saw the clothes that Sans was wearing, causing him to rub his eyes, in case they were playing tricks on him.

    “Mornin’, Red. Mornin’, Boss.” Sans yawned, bringing a hand up to his mouth.

    “Sans- Wow. I didn’t think I’d ever see ya in anythin’ other than yer usual hoodie. Any special occasion?”

    The other skeleton looked down at what he was wearing, which turned out to be a large red sweater that Red could’ve sworn looked familiar.

    “Oh, right. Well, yesterday when you were drunk, we came back home and I had to bring you to your room.” Sans stated, rolling up the sleeves slightly so his hands were uncovered.

    “I don’t remember that part-” Red looked off to the side, though he mentally kicked himself for getting that drunk. “How’s that related to the sweater?”

    “I took your jacket off and put it in your closet. It was too hot for that.” Sans shrugged, before twiddling his thumbs. “I may or may not have taken this sweater from you. I couldn’t help it, I liked the color too much!” He protested, causing Red to blink, before bursting out in laughter.

    “Sweetheart, ya don’t have ta ask me before takin’ a sweater! Looks adorable, by the way.” He chuckled, causing the other to look away, almost shyly. “‘M glad ya like the color red. Honest. Though, I think I like the color blue a little bit more.” Sans immediately snapped his attention back to Red, crossing his arms.

    “I think you’re wrong there, ya shark toothed teddy bear, even though you _hue_ mor me. Red’s definitely better, n’ I definitely like it more than you like blue.”

    “Wow, throwin’ _shade_ , are ya? Well, for the record, ya cuddly-ass softie, blue’s definitely a _cooler_ color, in more ways than one.”

    “ _Tone_ it down with the competitiveness, if you keep arguin’ with me I might just change back and never wear this sweater again.”

 

    There wasn’t a word from Red about the color blue after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may or may not have added a little doodle in here- >w>  
> it's not much because i've been staying up until like 3 in the morning for the past few days drawing and i need to stop doing that, but i kinda wanted to add a little artistic touch here- :'D  
> (also the thought of blue hastily scribbling away at a little note was too cute for me)


	19. Stood Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i know it's taken a while to get out but i finally have the next chapter!! :'D  
> i'm finally done with all my work prepping for the convention, now i just have to finish my cosplay;; @w@""

    Blue had left the note he’d written in the kitchen, at their usual spot. The little piece of white paper was tacked onto the fridge with a purple magnet, folded over once so it couldn’t be read without taking it off of the fridge, though he knew that Razz would be the only one to dare and read the note.

    The one time anyone had tried reading Blue and Razz’s notes without permission, the latter had exploded in a fit of rage, slapping the everloving shit out of Boss and telling him to ‘Fuck off and mind your own business!’ The two had been pissed at each other after that, though Boss eventually came to realize the importance of privacy and secrecy that the two shorter skeletons shared, finally giving in and apologizing.

    He let out a deep sigh as he ran through his plan again and again in his head, trying to make sure everything was perfect.

    If all went well, he’d meet Razz in Hotland in a few hours, and he could confess everything, and they could finally sort out the feelings and emotions they had.

    Blue just hoped that it  _ would _ go according to plan.

 

* * *

 

 

    Red was lounging on the couch again with Sans, one arm wrapped around the other as they flipped through the channels on the TV, finally tired of watching Bambi for the 24th time.

    “Hey, give me the remote. You’ve gone through the same 15 channels seven times now.” Sans complained, reaching over to try and grab the remote from his other hand.

    Red snorted, holding it just out of reach, sticking his tongue out as he kept surfing the channels. “Nah. Finders keepers, and I was the one who got the remote first.”

    “Jesus christ, you’re childish.” Sans rolled his sockets, leaning back against the other as he gave up in his attempt to retrieve the remote, staring at the screen before pulling the blanket closer. “At least pick somethin’ and stick with it, you’re driving me nuts.” He huffed, lightly kicking the other in the shin with his heel, though it just made Red chuckle.

    “Then stop lookin’ at the screen when I’m changin’ the channels. That’s why yer vision’s shit.” He snorted, still keeping the remote to himself as he finally settled on MTT’s channel, which was more than a little confusing, now that there were four Mettas.

    Sans stared at the screen for a while, a comfortable silence falling between the two for a few minutes before he finally spoke up. “How’s Boss been holding up with all this? Universe merging and soulmate finding, I mean.”

    The question took Red by surprise, thinking it over and glancing upstairs, where his brother’s door was closed. “I don’t think he resents it, but I dunno if he’s the happiest with the situation, either. Losin’ his Mettaton earlier really took a toll on ‘im, but I think he’s just glad to have ‘im back.” He shrugged, looking to the side. “I don’t really know what’s goin’ on with him, really. He doesn’t talk to me much.”

    “I feel a little bad. It’s like I’m taking your time away from him or somethin’. Even if ‘m bein’ a clingy asshole-” Sans paused for a moment as Red chuckled a bit. “You and I both know how important our brothers are to us. I’m not saying we should stop hangin’ out like this or anything, but maybe you should check in on him every now and then. The same thing goes for me.”

    “Well, if that’s what ya think, sweetheart. I guess I haven’t talked to ‘im as much as I shoulda… But what brought this on?” Red asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the other.   
    “Just… Seeing Blue and Razz.” The other stated blankly, sighing as he curled up against Red. “Whenever I look at them, I see so much of my little bro. The enthusiasm that they put into every day tasks, the things that make ‘em laugh... They have each other, though. It made me realize I haven’t been there for Papyrus as much as I should’ve been. This whole soulmate thing took awhile for me to get used to, and you’ve helped me through that more than you could ever know… n’ Papyrus did, too. Our bros aren’t kids, I know that… They’re clever and resourceful, but it’s not fair to ‘em if we just ditch ‘em in favor of each other, y’know?”

    Red stared at the other for a moment, before sighing himself, putting a hand up to his forehead. “Fuck, yer right. Now I feel like a shitty bro. Maybe we can, I dunno, invite ‘em to movie night? Just all get together n’ build a god damn pillow fort or somethin’, make some damn spaghetti and just chill watchin’ all the Disney movies we can find at the dump.”

    Sans’ face seemed to brighten at the idea, and Red felt his own face heat up and flush when the other kissed his cheek lightly, a dorky smile on his face. “I think we’d all love that.”

 

* * *

 

 

    Razz groaned as he sat up in bed, rubbing his temples and screwing his sockets shut, feeling a mild pounding in the back of his skull.

    Under normal circumstances, he’d usually wake up first out of the group, as a known early riser, and someone who kept to a strict schedule. However, last night was different. He’d stayed up until 5 finishing the scarf that he’d been embroidering, never getting tired of staring at the same bold color, despite working on it for hours on end.

    Razz forced himself to get out of bed, standing up and walking over to his desk where his new sewing machine stood, already having seen several hours of use.

    The blue scarf he’d been working on lay next to it, neatly folded down the middle with a cheesy bow sitting on top, though it was the best thing that Razz had been able to find.

    He picked up the scarf gently, looking it over again to make sure it was perfect, before putting it in a white paper bag, writing the word ‘Blue’ on the outside.

    A thud downstairs told him that the others were already awake, and an annoyed huff escaped him as he opened his door, walking downstairs with the bag and looking around, spotting Sans and Red sleeping on the couch, as usual, as well as hearing the voices of Papyrus and Russ from the kitchen, where they were supposedly cooking something edible.

    “Mornin’, sleepin’ beauty.” The voice behind him almost made him jump, turning around to face Stretch, who had a lazy smile on his face and a cigarette in hand. “You’re up late.”

    “What of it? My sleeping habits are not any of your concern.” Razz snorted, turning away from the taller skeleton as he walked towards the kitchen, intending to find  _ something _ to eat before he went in search of Blue. “Did you want something from me?”

    “Well, all I know is that Blue’s got a pretty important note for ya on the fridge. N’ I also know that he left for Hotland a few hours ago.” Stretch shrugged, putting the cigarette out after he took one last drag, frowning a bit as he followed the other. “Maybe you should look into that.”

    “What? Hotland? Why would he go there?” Razz questioned, stepping into the kitchen and taking the note of the fridge, feeling puzzled.

    Stretch had a knowing smile on his face as the other read over the note, his eyes going wider when he finished, immediately putting the note into his pocket and running out the door, on his way to Hotland.

 

* * *

 

 

    Blue sat at the table he’d found with a forlorn expression, slowly licking away at the nice cream he’d bought nearly two hours ago, coming to terms with the fact that if he just kept them in the cooler any longer, they’d melt.

    He felt betrayed, in a way. He’d been so sure that Razz would’ve shown up at the time stated, out of breath and intrigued, and they would’ve talked about everything, the whole soulmate situation, their feelings, maybe even about a relationship…

    He hadn’t imagined that the other wouldn’t even show up.

_ I guess it was all just wishful thinking. Maybe I’ve been misinterpreting his platonic feelings as something more. _ Blue sighed, finally biting the nice cream and shivering a bit, despite the heat radiating from the environment around him.

_ Well, even if he didn’t show up, I suppose I got nice cream out of it,  _ and _ I got out of the house! Maybe this is a success in it’s own right. _ He thought, trying to cheer himself up as he grabbed the other nice cream, deciding that he’d go home after he ate them both.

    He’d spent about an hour getting ready, even going so far as to travel to the Ruins to find blue and red flowers, which hadn’t been any easy task, especially with the lack of growth he found there.

    “Well, it’s fine! I can just give them to Sans and Red and say it’s a gift.” Blue mumbled, trying to make the best of the situation, though his expression wasn’t fooling anyone.

    Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, and Blue assumed it was Stretch. He was the only other monster who knew about this little plan, after all, and his brother had helped him with the preparations.

    “Not now, Papy. I’m going to drown out my sorrows in nice cream.” Blue put his face down on the table, nice cream still in hand as he forced himself to speak.

    “I’m sorry.”

    Blue froze after hearing those words, the voice not being the one he’d expected to hear.

    “I didn’t know you had planned this today, I… I ended up sleeping in. I didn’t see your note until Stretch brought it up.” The voice unmistakably belonged to Razz, and Blue felt frustration well up in his chest, sitting up again and glaring at the other.

    “You’re two hours late. Did you just not check to see if I’d left a note today?” He asked, though Razz looked a bit worn, drawing a bit of concern from the seated skeleton. “What happened? You look like you didn’t sleep well-”

    Razz opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, before shaking his head, instead wordlessly holding out a paper bag to him.

    Blue looked at the other, more confused now than he had been earlier, taking the bag and opening it, grabbing whatever had been inside.

    All the frustration and anger he had felt melted away when he unfolded the fabric, finding himself holding a blue scarf, embroidered with little stars all the way around the edge, with the word ‘Blue’ also embroidered in fancy letters on the side, with a tacky bow that had fallen to the ground as soon as he had taken it out of the bag.

    “Razz, when-”

    “I ended up staying awake until five finishing it, so I slept in today. I suppose it was bad timing on both of our parts.”

    Blue stared at him for a few moments, before he smiled widely, standing up and hugging the other tightly, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.

    “You scared me, Razz! And here I was afraid that you just didn’t want to talk about this sort of thing!” He exclaimed, pulling away after a few seconds, still grinning. “I’m really glad this didn’t go as badly as I thought it was going.”

    “Blue, even if I’m not the most social monster out there, I wouldn’t do that to you. You’re still  _ my _ idiot after all, I have to take care of you and your silly little antics.” Razz stated, smiling a bit himself. “Now, about that relationship.”


	20. Chapter 20

so uh

i know i haven’t updated in a while

a lot of that was due to the convention i was going to and all the preparation that went into that

but i’m afraid i have to go on hiatus again

and this time i’m afraid it won’t be as short as a month

first and foremost, i’m a visual artist. i draw things, i doodle and i sketch to get things out of my head. second of all, i’m a high school student. school is starting again in a few days for me, and i don’t know if i can handle drawing, schoolwork, cosplay, and story writing at the same time. school makes me so demotivated that it can be hard to do anything productive, and it makes me absolutely miserable.

and that leads me to the decision to work on projects that make me happy, and projects that i love.

kustard and rottenberry will always be loved ships in my heart, but i’ve used a lot of my ideas already. drawn the story so far away from what it originally started as, which was supposed to be a cute and heartfelt soulmate au, that it makes me a little sad to see it. as my friend once said, i’ve run out of string to weave.

and it is with a heavy heart that i say that the prettiest shade of red will not be continued, at least for a while yet, and because of that you have my deepest apologies.

i already had a history of abandoning stories halfway through when i first started writing, and i thought the prettiest shade of red would be the one to break that cycle. unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

 

thank you all for sticking with me over the summer and letting me indulge in story writing again, it was a great experience, though i have to bow out now.

**Author's Note:**

> aaah, i'm sorry if this isn't very good, i haven't written anything seriously and posted it in years, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated- ;w;


End file.
